


I Can Stay

by scribble005



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Action, Angst, Developing Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Gun Violence, I wrote and wrote and wrote, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Female Character, LGBTQ Themes, Love this game and will never stop talking out it, Original Character(s), Romance, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Smut, This game wrecked me for days, Violence, spoilers from The Last of Us Part 2, takes place after the game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:35:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26954464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribble005/pseuds/scribble005
Summary: This takes place five years after the events of TLOU2.By chance, Dina stumbles upon Ellie deep in the Wyoming woods. She tries to reject the feelings she has buried all these years but they are steadily resurfacing as her ex-lover creeps her way back into her life.Ellie has spent the last five years as a drifter, refusing to call anything home. She finds herself back where her life fell apart and in front of the one person she never stopped loving.But soon their respective past catches up to them and threatens their safety and security. Will they be able to work together to save everything they love?Teaser:Her hair was longer, tied in a low bun and she was leaner, strong looking, mature. But Dina could never forget the distinct eyebrow slit and the sharp features of her face. She was still beautiful as she remembered.“You’re alive.” Dina said in disbelief. She rushed towards the redhead and into her arms. She soaked in the familiar warmth of her ex-lover then clasped her face to bring her in for kiss. As their lips met, Dina almost wept. The feelings were flooding back. She hungrily kissed Ellie, parting her lips to slick her tongue against hers.
Relationships: Dina & Ellie (The Last of Us), Dina/Ellie (The Last of Us)
Comments: 62
Kudos: 356





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I absolutely love this game and can't believe how divided it is. Anywho, I started writing this immediately after finishing the game a second time and wasn't planning on posting it. But I'm feeling a bit down these days so I figured I would post the first chapter to see what the response is. If people want more I will post the next chapter.
> 
> I'm not finished it though, I still have a few more chapters planned but also have writers block so hopefully I can't get past it soon because I really can't wait to see how this ends lol
> 
> Thanks for reading everyone!

Crap. She’d went too far.

Dina had never strayed this far from home alone but she wanted to bring back something meaty for dinner than canned beans. The traps she set that morning were still bare so she turned to hunting: pheasant, rabbit, heck even a deer if she had to drag it back with her bare hands. But all was quiet in the woods and her bow was itching for use. What fucking luck.

She waved the flaps of her suede jacket to fan herself. The afternoons were getting hotter and she was glad her hair was in a bun today. She would have to remind herself tomorrow to lose the extra layers of clothes. She sighed and stood from her crouch position to turn back until a movement from a far caught the corner of her eye. She quickly ducked and backed herself against a tree. She listened for any moans or clicking noises but all she heard were cracking of twigs. She peered from behind the trunk and found a figure slowly walking through the forest. It could be a Stalker, she hated them the most. At least the other types of infected were predictable and easy to run around. But she couldn’t let it roam freely so close to home or worse, find its way to Jackson. After she dealt with it and got back home, she would have to radio it back to Maria then a group could go out and scope the area.

With an arrow notched on her bow string, Dina shadowed the infected, looking for the right opportunity to bring it down. She weaved through the trees until the figure came to a small clearing then it picked up its pace towards a lone cabin. Dina realized the infected was human, a woman, which was sort of a relief. The person wore a long sleeve blue and white shirt, a tattered green backpack and carried a rifle in one hand and two dead rabbits in the other. There was something familiar in the way the woman moved and carry herself. The slow, confident strides reminded her of a past she long forgotten.

Dina shouldered her bow and arrow and pulled her pistol out. She kept in the cover of the trees and circled the tree lining for a closer look. She wanted to assess the female to make a decision to engage or leave her be. She watched the woman climbed the two steps of the cabin porch and place her rifle and rabbits on the uneven table. She brandished a hunting knife from her belt holster and began dressing her kills. She was skilled at it which meant this person was a hunter and a killer. Hopefully a moral one.

Dina creeped a bit more until she lost her footing on an uneven rock causing her to brush up against a bush. She quickly stilled herself but the sudden movement caught the woman’s attention. That’s when Dina saw her.

Ellie.

Her hair was longer, tied in a thick, low bun and she was leaner, stronger looking, mature. But Dina could never forget the distinct eyebrow slit and the sharp features of her face. Fuck, she was still beautiful as she remembered. Dina couldn’t help herself, she holstered her weapon and came out from the brush, into view. Ellie dropped her knife and quickly pulled out a revolver, training it at Dina. Then she lowered it.

“Dina?” she said.

“You’re alive.” Dina said in disbelief. She rushed towards the red head and into her arms. She soaked in the familiar warmth of her ex-lover then clasped her face to bring her in for kiss. As their lips met, Dina almost wept. The feelings were flooding back. She hungrily kissed Ellie, parting her lips to slick her tongue against hers. A moan escape from her throat and she felt Ellie tighten her hold on her.

“Inside,” Dina gasped. Ellie obliged, gathered her things and whisk them inside the cabin. As she secured the front door, Dina lunged in for another kiss. The force pushed Ellie against the door with a thunk but their lips never broke. They dropped their bags to the floor and went for their clothes, first Dina’s jacket then their shirts before reaching for the buttons on their pants. Ellie pushed them towards a small cot on the far end of the room until Dina was full seated on the bed and facing Ellie’s waist. She pulled down Ellie’s pants, baring her thighs and revealing a jagged scar just above her hip bone. This was new. She traced the ugly lines with her fingertips before tenderly pressing her lips on it as to soothe away the pain. She rested her face on Ellie’s stomach then ran her tongue up and down the smooth surface before rimming the circle of her belly button.

“Dina…” Ellie moaned and placed her hands gently on top of Dina’s head.

In a fluid movement, Dina hiked one of Ellie’s leg onto the bed and captured the waiting clit in her mouth. Ellie groaned and Dina clasped Ellie’s buttocks with her hands to help steady her. She continued her assault, sucking on the throbbing nub and sliding her slick tongue between the folds. She still tasted and smelled the same, sweet, citrus and wet and Dina greedily lapped it up.

Ellie’s breathing began to hitch and Dina knew the woman was close to coming. She persisted in massaging her tongue against the clit in a steady rhythm until Ellie’s buttocks tightening and she let out a low groan and buckled. She half fell onto Dina’s lap and rested her forehead on her shoulder so she could regain her senses.

“More,” Ellie whispered and Dina eagerly repeated the word back. They kissed and the fire between them ignited again, this time with more urgency. Ellie leaned Dina back against the bed and removed the last barrier of clothing. She threw the pants onto the floor and settled between the vee of Dina’s legs. A silver chain dangling from her neck caught Dina’s eye. At the end of it was a hamsa. Her hamsa. Ellie had kept it all these years.

The woman above her started to grind her hips in a slow rhythm. Dina moved with her, wrapping her legs around her waist and biting her fingers into her back, begging for more pressure. Ellie responded by quickening her pace, resulting in sweat beading on her forehead. Dina could feel herself reaching and she wanted to share it with Ellie. She pulled her down to lock lips. So that every inch of their bodies were touching, every heart beat was felt and every tremble was met. She let out a half-heard gasp and they stilled their positions. Only the sounds of their heavy breathing filled the room. Ellie’s full weight was on top of Dina now but she didn’t care. She missed the weight. She missed feeling safe. They remained there for a few more minutes until Ellie began kissing her shoulder.

“More,” Ellie said again and she trailed her lips down the length of Dina’s body. Dina let out a sultry moan as Ellie found her clit and teased it with her tongue. She was teetering to exhaustion yet Ellie still had the energy. Dina couldn’t believe it, Ellie never shown this much vigour in their lovemaking in the past. She wasn’t complaining because Ellie still knew how to pleasure her and she rapidly felt the sensation in her groin built. She was close again. She didn’t think she had the strength to come again but it suddenly hit her. It pulsated her entire body and tingled her extremities. Her head fell back, mouth gaped open but not a sound came out. The wave crashed her over and over that Dina didn’t think she would breath again. Ellie then firmly pressed her tongue on the throbbing clit to let Dina ride the rest of the sensations.

When Dina finally collapsed and was fully rest on the cot, Ellie climbed up to lay beside her. The last she remembered was the freckled face before sleep took over her.

~ ~ ~

She could hear birds chirping and the air smelled musky and damp. Dina opened her eyes and blinked twice. The sun was peeking through the slits of the boarded windows which meant she hadn’t been asleep for too long. It took her a second to remember where she was.

Ellie.

Dina turned her head towards the body beside her. The woman was asleep. She looked soft. Rested. Fucking beautiful. When was the last time…? No! Dina left that past behind, buried it away when Ellie walked out on her and JJ five years ago. The first few months were hard on her, especially for JJ who on many nights cried for his other mother. Dina cried too. She relived their last interaction for days. Wondering how she could have made Ellie stay or what she could have said differently. As years past, Dina resided that nothing differently would change the outcome. Ellie would have still left. Her lust for revenge was stronger than her family and Dina could never forgive her for abandoning them. 

She watched Ellie’s eyes flicker, lock with hers and smile.

“Hi,” Ellie said.

Dina took a deep breath, rolled away from the warmth and sat up from the bed. The cold shivered her spine as she picked up her underwear and jeans off the ground and wrestled to put them on. 

“Dina, wait.” Ellie shifted and sat beside her, placing a palm on her back.

“I need to go home. It’s late.” Dina stood up to button her pants. She smoothed her face with her hands and went searching for the rest of her things. Silently, they dressed and gathered the rest of their belongings.

“Are you far from home? How is JJ?” Ellie asked as she sheathed her knife in her holster. Dina thought about her words carefully.

“I’m not doing this with you. You don’t get to ask these questions like nothing happened. You lost that right when you left us.” Dina exclaimed. She could feel the anger coursing through her. She expected Ellie to fight back but she stood there, muted.

“Ellie, what we just did, right now. It was a one time thing. I saw you and just, just had to… nothing more,” Dina continued. She held back the tears she knew were coming because she knew it wasn’t nothing. 

“I understand.” Was all Ellie said.

Dina took in the sight of Ellie for what she thought would the last time then walk out the door. As she crossed the clearing, tears fell. She didn’t wipe them nor did she looked back but she knew Ellie was watching her leave this time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, I guess I'll post another chapter! This chapter is angsty and a bit of a downer but I wanted to give context on Ellie.  
> Thanks to everyone for reading.

Five Years Before

She knew Dina and JJ were gone.

When Ellie approached the farm, she didn’t hear the soft baas of the sheep. The house was dim, motionless, not a stir through the windows. She didn’t expect them to be waiting for her return but secretly wanted them to be. No, she needed them to be.

She entered through the backdoor, past the bare kitchen and into empty living room. There was nothing left. The place looked foreign to her with everything gone. She climbed the upstairs, noting all the room doors were open except for one. Her art room. She went there first, open the door and exhaled deeply when she saw all her paintings where she left them and the rest of her belongings packed away neatly. On the corner of the table was Dina’s hamsa bracelet. Ellie picked it up and immediately wrapped the leather band around the wrist of her tattoo arm.

~ ~ ~

Jackson’s north gate doors parted and there stood Maria at the center. A man and woman with their guns ready, stood a few feet behind the Jackson leader.

“Ellie. Welcome home.” Maria said as Ellie past the gate and into the town’s land. The heavy doors creaked shut and there was a dull silence.

“Where’s Dina?” Ellie asked flatly.

Maria hesitated. “Come on. Let me take you back to my place. You can wash up there and we can talk.” 

“Take me to Dina. I’m not going anywhere else.”

Maria nodded and waved the guards behind her to leave them be then gestured Ellie to follow her. They walked past the stables and onto the main street. Many of the townfolks stop to stare, whispering as if they had seen a ghost. All greeted Maria and some to Ellie as they walked by. At the end of the block they turn the street into the residential area. It looked the same as Ellie remembered.

“Ellie, go in and wash up. You smell like death,” Maria said more forcefully as they approached the steps of her home. 

“Maria, please. I need to see Dina and JJ,” Ellie pleaded. She scanned down the streets, hoping to get a glimpse of the woman and child. Frustrated, she decided to search for them on her own and back away from the older woman.

“She’s not here. Her, JJ and Jesse’s parents left Jackson a week ago. She said something about finding a new place to live. That Jackson was a constant reminder of their losses.” Maria called out and Ellie stopped in her tracks.

“No.”

“Ask around. I would never lie to you.”

“How could you have let them leave?” The younger woman let out a deafening scream in anguish. She tried to choke back the tears but they found their escape. The tears filled her eyes that she could barely see in front of her.

“Did you think I wanted them too? I asked them to stay. I told them it was safer behind these walls. But everyone has a choice to stay or leave and I have a town to keep safe and many others to look after.”

“Where did they go?”

“I don’t know. They wouldn’t tell me where they were heading.”

Ellie buckled to her knees and sobbed in her hands. Maria gathered her and led her into her house, out of the prying eyes that were gathering on the street.

~ ~ ~

The hot spray of water from the shower head helped. It had been over four months since Ellie’s last hot shower and it was relief. It soothed her headache, washed away the residual grime and sweat from her body but not the pain she was feeling in her heart. She lost herself in this revenge to go after Abby only to lose the one thing that mattered to her, her family. She realized it too late.

When Ellie let the WLF solider go on the banks of Santa Barbara, she took the second boat north. Along the way she found other boats to gather supplies and siphon gas until the motor finally broke at the shores of Oregon. From there she trekked her way to Idaho, killing infected and hunters along the way, until she made it back home. Fifty-eight days was more than enough time for her to gather her thoughts, come to terms with losing Joel and realized how wrong she was for leaving. She would spend her lifetime making it up to Dina and her potato. 

Ellie turned the knob off and let the remaining water roll off her body. She wrapped the towel Maria left for her and went into the bedroom next door. There were fresh clothes laid out and Ellie gladly put them on. As she buttoned the brown flannel, she stared out the window and watch the people go about their day. She envied their obliviousness.

She met Maria downstairs at the kitchen table where there was a waiting cup of hot tea. She accepted it and sat across from Maria.

“You can stay here as long as you like or I can put you in your old place. No one has lived there since you.” Maria offered.

“I’m not planning on staying.”

“Ellie, it will be impossible to find them.”

Maria was right. Ellie wouldn’t be able to track them as they had a week head start. She could ask around but if Dina and Jesse’s parents didn’t tell Maria where they were going, it was unlikely they told anyone else. She took a sip of the hot brew and pinch between her eyebrows with her mutilated hand.

“I’ll get someone from the clinic to come by to check you out.” Maria said, noting the missing digits.

“It’s fine. I kept it clean and dry until it healed over.” Ellie briefly glanced at her hand and placed it on her lap. “How’s Tommy?”

“He’s good. He lives a few houses over and he occasionally works at the hydroelectric dam doing maintenance. It keeps him busy and makes him feel like he is useful since he isn’t able to do patrols. He should be back today so you’ll be able to see him tonight.”

“You two never got back together?”

“Tommy wasn’t the same when you all got back from Seattle. We tried several times to make it work but it’s for the best that we never got back together.”

Ellie grimaced as she took in the news. She could tell their actions had deeply impacted Maria even though she was a bystander. The cycle just keeps circling. Someone would always be affected.

“You should stay, Ellie.” Maria urged.

Ellie gingerly rubbed the back of her neck and took another sip of her tea.

~ ~ ~

She made it a week in Jackson before she started packing her bag. She was tired of the stares and whispers. All the questions and small talk when the people really wanted the dirt on what had transpired. Cat had visited her a couple times but even then the conversation felt forced. Dina was right, Jackson was a constant reminder of their losses. Everywhere and everyone reminded her of Joel, Jesse, Dina and JJ. Being around Tommy was worse. He apologized for his outburst when they last saw each other but whenever she was around Joel’s brother it deepened her sadness. She was done feeling this way. 

There was a knock on the door. It was Maria.

“You missed supper. I wanted to make sure you had something to eat.” Maria held a container in her hand but Ellie refused it.

“Can I get you anything. I don’t have much?” Ellie looking around her place for a cup.

“I know you’re leaving.” The blonde woman said. Ellie didn’t respond and kept her eyes averted.

“We haven’t heard word from them.” Maria continued.

“No, I’m not looking for them. I just can’t stay here. Everywhere I look I’m haunted by them. It’s why I can’t stay. I’m sorry.” Ellie choked out. She grabbed her journal from the night stand and stuff it in her pack.

“Ellie, sleep tonight and you can leave in the morning when there is light out. I’ll let the crew know to give you some gear and let you on your way.”

The response shocked the younger woman but she was grateful. “Thank you.”

~ ~ ~

She was back at the farm, sitting in her art room attempting to play the song Joel taught her on her guitar. With her left hand missing her ring and pinky finger she couldn’t play the chords properly. She wouldn’t be able to play guitar properly again. One more loss connection for her.

She thought of the last interaction she had with Joel. It was a dark, quiet night on his front porch and she was attempting to forgive him for lying to her. She realized if she could forgive Joel perhaps, she could start forgiving herself. The thought was encouraging.

Ellie covered the hamsa bracelet around her wrist with her other hand and hoped Dina and JJ were safe, wherever they were. She sighed deeply and placed the guitar against the window still. She left the farm, into the woods, towards a new life. Alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How does one handle when the rest of their family loves her ex-girlfriend? :)

Dina couldn’t believe she was back here. Templeton, her horse, was minding its business, grazing on a patch of grass while she was sitting on the cabin steps where she last saw Ellie.

Yesterday, when she got back home, Robin was preparing dinner while Howard was listening to her six year old son read. She apologized for her tardiness but they were just glad she was home safe.

She played with JJ for a bit then went to wash up when Howard began setting the table. When they were all seated, they conversed about their day and Dina let it slip that she crossed paths with Ellie. She didn’t know what compelled her to tell them but she immediately regretted it. Their mouths gaped open and JJ laugh and mimic them.

“She was always a strong one. I’m glad she’s still alive after all these years.” Howard finally said. He reached for the baked beans and dished a scoop for him and his wife.

“Did Ellie look well?” Robin asked.

“Who’s Ellie?” JJ piped up as he messily spooned some beans into his mouth.

“She’s an old friend. Goober, you dropped your napkin,” Dina responded, “And yes, she looked well. We didn’t talk long and we went our separate ways.” She wasn’t feeling hungry anymore so she resorted to pushing the food on her plate with her fork.

“That was it? Is she back living in Jackson?” Jesse’s mother pressed.

“I don’t think she is. She was staying in an abandon cabin just west of here, about an hour and so on foot.”

“A cabin? How long has she been there?” Jesse’s father questioned.

“I didn’t ask. Like I said, we didn’t talk for long.” Dina’s voice was firmer this time, hoping the older couple would get the hint, and that was the last they discussed Ellie for the reminder of the night.

The next morning was a different story. After breakfast, as Dina was counting her ammunition, Howard and Robin pestered her to invite Ellie over the dinner. Dina refused repeatedly until the Asian woman said she would go herself so Dina finally conceded. She let them know she would first set her snares, do the perimeter check then find Ellie. That seem to please them.

It was late afternoon when Dina arrived at the cabin but it was empty. Only the remnants of cold ashes and blacken twigs in the small fireplace proved someone was once here. She hoped Ellie had moved on and wasn’t coming back. She didn’t trust herself not to jump Ellie if she saw her again. Oh god, how she missed sex. Yesterday’s romp released five years of tension but later that night when she was in bed, she was itching for more that she had to rub one out, twice. Fuck, she unleased a beast inside her. 

Just as Dina was about to give up in waiting, Ellie came out from the woods, wearing the same clothes from yesterday, carrying a slightly rusted metal bucket. She must have spotted her first because she was walking with ease and didn’t look surprised to see her there. As Ellie approached the cabin, she placed the bucket on the steps beside Dina. The bucket contained three live fishes.

“Dina,” Ellie said as she backed away slightly, giving them some distance.

“Howard and Robin invited you for dinner tonight.” Dina stood up from her seat and crossed her arms.

“That was nice of them.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Are you offering?”

“Geesh, you are still infuriating.” Dina rolled her eyes. She really was still infuriating.

“Are you?” Ellie bantered back. A slight smile form on her face.

“Look, if I don’t come back with you, they will just continue to pester me. Then you will have to deal with Jesse’s mom and you know how she’s a spitfire.”

“You could always lie and say I wasn’t here.”

Dina could just lie. But a part of her wanted to know where Ellie had been all these years. She had so many questions. Had she found Abby? Did she kill her? Why was she living in this cabin and not in Jackson? Had she been looking for her? 

“Just come over.”

~ ~ ~

“I just need to check a couple traps I set this morning then we can head to the farm.” Dina turned her head to look at the woman trailing behind her. Instead of riding Templeton, they chose to walk. Dina, guiding the brown and white horse through the lightly trafficked trail and Ellie, holding her bucket of fish.

“Lead the way,” Ellie replied.

They walked in silence as they check the first snare. Nothing. They checked the second one, still nothing. It was aggravating Dina that she hadn’t trapped anything in six days. Her traps were always effective. But it shouldn’t have bother her as she had plenty of livestock and a thriving garden, not to mention she was making a trip to Jackson tomorrow. She blamed her heighten emotions on Ellie. Her life was the way she wanted to live it. On a farm, in open space, with a loving family and living a quiet life. She provided protection, food and shelter and would raise JJ to be as strong as his father. At nights, she busied herself repairing old electronics, a skill she learned from her old Jackson patrol partner, Eugene. She even learned to craft land mines and trip wires which she used as extra security around the farm. She was content and it was all she needed.

Dina dismantled the snare and shove them into her backpack then maneuvered her horse back on the trail with Ellie a few steps behind her.

“You know, a few years ago I wasn’t able to trap or hunt anything for three weeks straight. It upset me a lot, mostly because I was starving. But if I had found some apples then it was a good day.” It was like Ellie could sense her frustration.

“You’re a lot more positive than I remember.” Dina slowed her steps, allowing Ellie to catch up and match her strides. Ellie shrugged and switch the bucket handle to her other hand so it wouldn’t get in Dina’s way.

“I had a lot of time to think and I moved around over the years. I was just grateful to have something to eat.”

“Where have you been all these years? Why didn’t you go back to Jackson?”

Ellie paused before responding, testing her words. “When I got back, I went to the farm first and when you and JJ weren’t there I did go to Jackson. You weren’t there so I tried to stay but it didn’t feel right and I left a week later. I stayed around Wyoming for a bit then I was in Colorado for the longest. After a while I migrated to Utah and stay in a settlement similar to Jackson for a few months before I got restless. Then I found myself in Idaho which I don’t recommend. It was fucking rough out there. It felt like I was killing fucking infected and hunters every hour. Everyone was out for their fucking own. I couldn’t rest or catch a break. So, the plan is to head to Montana and see what is out there. I didn’t realize I was this close to Jackson. I’m just here for a stop.”

“Wow? Talk my ear off much?” Dina joked. Ellie nudged her shoulder with hers in jest and they softly chuckled. It was surprising how easy it was to fall back into old habits with her.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that alone.” Dina meant every word. She couldn’t imagine being alone for that long and badly wanted to comfort her. Instinctively, she looked for her hand then she saw the missing appendages. She was ready to ask how it happen but quickly bit her tongue against it. She didn’t want to show that she cared and have it mean something.

“I chose that life and I made it work,” Ellie said non-chantantly, her focus was still on the path in front of them. “So where have you been all this time?”

“You remember those two farms we were deciding between after JJ was born? We’re living in the other one.” Dina revealed. Back then, she wanted to choose the farm she was living in now but they decided on the other because it was closer to Jackson.

“Shit, I never thought to check there.” Ellie frowned at the realization that it would have been easy to find them if she put more effort.

“Jesse’s parents, JJ and I have been living there ever since. When we settled, we visited Jackson a few months later and now we occasionally visit to collect and trade supplies. But the farm has everything we need, we’re connected to the dam’s power and have running water. You know how it’s always been my dream.” 

Ellie grabbed Dina’s arm to stop her. “D, I’m sorry.”

“Like how you were sorry when you left us?” Dina burst out and shook out of Ellie’s grasp. She cursed quietly and composed herself. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought that up.”

She started to walk again but Ellie moved in front of her. “Dina, I shouldn’t have left. I know now it was a mistake and I regret doing it. I can never make it up to you and JJ but I would do anything if you give me the chance.”

But Dina couldn’t. She had normalcy in her life but she still felt the pain when Ellie first left. She gave everything for this woman she once wanted to spend a lifetime with. _You go, I go_. Wasn’t that what she promised Ellie before Seattle? Why couldn’t Ellie do the same? It was if her love and loyalty wasn’t enough to make her stay.

“Please, Dina.” Ellie whispered.

“Come on, we’re getting close and they will be wondering where we are.” Dina pulled Templeton’s reins and walked around the woman. 

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Dina, only speaking to Ellie to show her where to look out for the trip wires and mines as they were closing onto the farm. As they came to the gate, Ellie open it without being asked and Dina guided them towards the yellowish, two-story house. It was similar in structural as the previous farm but wider, as it was meant for a larger family. Just then, the front door crashed open and out came running JJ with Jesse’s parents trailing behind him.

“Mama!” the boy screamed as he crossed the field to jump into his mother’s arms.

“Hey, goober! Ooof, you’ve gotten bigger since this morning!” Dina slobber kisses over his face as he giggled.

When Howard and Robin joined the group, they gathered Ellie into their arms, relieved that she had been alive all these years and how happy they were to see her. JJ, being his extroverted self, introduce himself to the guest and Ellie obliged by shaking his tiny hand. Dina could tell JJ was immediately taken by Ellie, even though he didn’t show signs of remembering her.

They chatted their way back to the house but Dina excused herself to put her horse away and check on the animals. She took her time in the barn, ensuring all the livestocks were inside, checking and rechecking that the water basins were fill and that the locks were secured. She swung by the chicken coop and greenhouse before making her way to the back door of the house. The three adults were sitting in the living room, exchanging their past years while JJ was on the floor playing with his Lego blocks. There was powdered lemonade on the coffee table, which was only brought out for special occasions.

Dina didn’t join them but instead stayed in the kitchen. There were freshly picked potato nuggets, pea pods and Ellie’s fish bucket on the counter. She grabbed the bucket and moved it next to the sink but before she could grab a knife Ellie appeared beside her.

“Here, let me.” Ellie placed a hand on the rim of the bucket as to take it away.

“Ellie, no. You’re a guest. Go back with Jesse’s parents and catch up with them.” Dina urged and went to take back the bucket.

“Rules of fishing. Who hath catch, must clean.” Ellie smiled, stole the pail away and went outside.

Howard and Robin joined Dina and together they washed, destemmed the peas and quart the potatoes. JJ had gone outside to join Ellie and they could be heard loudly talking. Ellie was patiently explaining to the curious boy why she was scaling the fish and how to properly gut them and he was peppering her with whys, whats and whos. When they return, he was shrieking in excitement as he carried in a fish he helped debone to proudly show it off. The woman behind him wore a proud smile that fluttered Dina’s stomach.

~ ~ ~ 

“Ellie, what are your plans for tomorrow?” Robin asked in the middle of dinner. “We’re visiting Jackson and you should come with us. I’m sure everyone would be happy to see you.”

Dina glanced at Ellie, hoping she would get the hint and decline. “Robin, I’m sure if Ellie wanted to visit Jackson she would have done so.”

“I’ll come.” Ellie interjected after swallowing some bites of roasted potatoes. 

JJ, who was sitting beside his new friend, got excited. “Can I ride with Ellie?”

“Sure, bud.” Ellie replied, smiling down at him and he clapped his hands.

“Wait…” Dina stuttered. Another day with Ellie? It was supposed to be one day and she would go on her way.

“Perfect! Ellie, there’s no point going back to your cabin if you are just coming back here. You can stay in the guest room and we can all leave after breakfast.” Howard offered and Ellie agreed.

“What?” Dina was confused. What had just happened?

“Mama, your napkin is on the floor.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tension between two ex-lovers. A trip to Jackson. And a possible new threat?

Ellie knew Dina was mad. Well, more like annoyed. Her brows would scrunch and her lips would thin whenever she was peeved at something or someone. Today, that someone was Ellie. Dina didn’t say a word to her after dinner and when the dishes were washed, she took JJ upstairs to bathe and put him to bed. The next morning, she barely acknowledged her. In fact, she took the last few bites of her eggs and excused herself to the barn before Ellie could sit down at the table.

After breakfast, Ellie retied her ponytail, gathered her things from the guest room and stepped out the backdoor. The mornings were getting warmer, she would have to find some lighter clothes as her long sleeves were boiling her under the sun.

From afar, Howard was readjusting the saddle on a black mare while Dina was strapping saddlebags onto Templeton. Robin was checking the chicken coop while JJ was sitting on the steps, backpack on and reading a children’s book.

“Morning, buddy.” Ellie sat next to the child and peeked at the pages he was reading.

“Morning, Ellie! Wanna to hear me read?” JJ snuggled closer to Ellie and began reading his book out loud. She tentatively listened and helped him with the harder words. She really missed this kid. She kicked herself for missing out on hearing his first words and seeing his first steps. She didn’t want to miss anymore. Montana could wait.

“JJ, did you go to the washroom? I don’t want to be stopping just as we are leaving,” Dina called out.

“Yes!” He called back. Dina gave a firm stare and placed a hand on her hip which cause the little boy to jump from his seat and rush inside the house. Fuck, Dina was still sexy when she was stern. Even just wearing a pale red blouse and black jeans she was mesmerizing. Ellie must had been staring a bit too long because Dina quickly straighten her stance and gave a wary look before turning her attention to something Howard had said.

A few moments later, JJ came running out and grabbed her hand to drag them to join the rest of the group. His tiny hand gripped hers tightly the whole walk down the field, a gesture Dina clearly focused on but never said anything.

“You will be riding with me and JJ,” Dina said. Was she really going to give her the cold shoulder the entire day?

Dina hoisted JJ up on the horse first before settling in the saddle behind the boy. Ellie jumped up to sit behind the dark-haired woman and cautiously place her hands on her waist. They trotted to the gate where Robin had it open for them to exit and they followed the trail north. They headed down the hill and followed the switchback trails to the valley with Jesse’s parents a few yards behind them. Thirty minutes into the ride JJ fell asleep.

“Can you grab the reins so I can hold JJ? There’s not a lot of room with the three of us and I don’t want him to fall off.” It was the longest Dina spoke to her in the last twelve hours. Ellie peered down at the sleeping boy and reached for the straps. She had to bring her arms fully around Dina, causing them to be pressed up against each other. She swore she felt Dina suck in her breath.

“How can he sleep like that?” Ellie asked, looking to relax the awkward situation.

“He always does this. This kid can pass out anywhere,” Dina explained. Ellie responded with a hmm causing the vibration to hum against Dina’s back.

“I wish you didn’t encourage him, Ellie.” Dina shifted a bit forward so they weren’t so close against each other.

“How so?”

“Calling him bud. Being attentive. Showing him how to clean a fish. He’s taken with you and when you leave, it will just confuse him.” There was a firmness in Dina’s voice, even though Ellie couldn’t see her face.

“I can stay,” Ellie proposed. She placed a hand on top of Dina’s, whose hands were cradling JJ. Dina didn’t respond but she didn’t move her hands either.

~ ~ ~

They arrived in Jackson two hours later and Ellie was amazed how much the settlement had grown over the years. The west part of town was filled with newly constructed homes and by the south end, the crop fields and greenhouses had expanded immensely.

JJ was wide awake by then and blabbing about how excited he was to see his friends. Ellie, on the other hand, felt uneasy when they entered the community. She never thought she would be back.

They first stopped at the stables and handed off their horses to one of the stable hands, Umar, who Ellie didn’t recognize. He welcomed Ellie but his attention was more so on Dina. By the way he was acting, he was another infatuated guy vying for Dina’s attention. Some things never do change.

When they exited the stables and onto the streets, Howard and Robin headed towards the Tipsy Bison, leaving them to drop JJ at the day care center where he could play with his friends for a few hours. As they continued down street, wide-eyed stares and whispers followed them. Some even step out of the shops just to lean up against a pole to watch them. It was a mirror image that reminded her of her return five years ago. Everyone seemed happy to greet Dina but hesitant with her.

Ellie followed Dina into a repair shop that wasn’t there before. Dina explained it was set up three years ago to salvage old electronics. When a group went out on a supply run, they would bring back as many electronics they could and they would either be repaired or dismantled for the parts. It was the first place Dina like to stopped on her visits into town.

“Donald! What do we got today?” Dina marched in the building like she owned the place. The silver haired man came from behind the desk and gave her a hearty hug.

“By golly, is that you, Ellie?” Donald looked up at the girl standing by the door. “Come over here!”

Ellie slowly walked over and braced for the bear hug coming her way. Donald was always a hugger.

“Didn’t think we would see you again!” He released her from his embrace and looked down at her in admiration.

“I’m just passing through, Donald. Howard and Robin invited me to come to Jackson with them.”

“Well, I’m glad to see you are well.”

“Come on, old timer. Anything interesting you have for me?” Dina knocked on the desk to get their attention. Donald laughed and began showing Dina the various items that came in from the last run. As they dug through the contents, Ellie walked around the room skimming the walls and countertops. She came to a shelf with a _Trades_ sign above it. She zoned in on the stack of notebooks and recalled she was down to her last pages of her current notebook. She touched the spines and thought of the many journals she lost or purposely left behind over the years. The disadvantages of being a drifter.

“You can take one, if you like,” Donald offered as he noticed she was lingering by the shelf.

“I don’t have anything to trade,” Ellie informed and she moved away, not wanting to tempt herself. She would find another journal somewhere else.

“It’s on me,” the man offered again but she declined. She went over to the desk to join the two and eyed the contents spilled on the table.

“Anything good?” Ellie asked.

“It’s a good haul. I’ll takes these wires, switches and whatever these things are. I’ll find some use for them.” Dina grinned at her loot as she packed the items into a small bag. In return, she pulled out music box from her pack. “You’re in luck. I was able to fix this. The music works but it’s a bit choppy.”

“Oh, Dina. I really appreciated it.” Donald had a quiver in his lips. The music box must have held sentimental value for him. “If you got time, would you be able to look at the projector? It broke a few days ago so we’ve been holding movie nights on the television. I’m sure the kids would appreciate if you are able to bring it back to life.”

“Of course, anything for those shrimps.” Dina then turned to Ellie. “It might be a while. If there is somewhere you want to go, I can come find you later?”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll see if I can find Maria or Tommy.” Ellie rubbed the back of her neck, wondering how they would react to seeing her.

“At this time of the day, they might be at the town office,” Donald piped up. He picked up a mug and sipped the contents. It had a familiar aroma that made her think of someone.

“Do you have more of that?” Ellie asked.

~ ~ ~

Ellie knelt on one knee beside Joel’s gravestone, careful to not spill the coffee Donald had given her. The last time she was here was before Seattle. When she returned, battered and bruised, physically and mentally from the trip, she was too ashamed to visit his grave. Back then, she was a coward for not facing the true reason for her grief. 

“Hey Joel, sorry for not visiting sooner.” She rested a hand on the tombstone. “After you died, I just… lost my fucking mind. I wished that you were there to guide me, to show me what to do, how to get through it. Funny, huh? I needed you to show me how to make those fucking Wolves pay for killing you. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kill her, Joel. But I’m glad I didn’t. I don’t know what I would have become if I did.”

Ellie sighed and recalled the details of Seattle. She rarely thought about that time of her life because it took her to a dark place. Her mind would conjure different outcomes and what it would lead to. She couldn’t put her mind back there, she made that promise to herself. 

“I thought we had enough time. Those years I wasted being mad at you. I would take them back just to have ten more minutes with you.” Streams of tears fell from her eyes as she tried to remember the details Joel’s face. “I miss you, Joel. I’m sorry for not forgiving you sooner.”

She took a sip of the coffee and choked back. God, how did Joel like this stuff? “Acquired taste my ass. It tastes like wood chips.”

Ellie gave a small smile as she poured the black liquid on the grass in front of his gravestone, knowing he would enjoy it more.

~ ~ ~

When Ellie return to the repair shop, Dina had already left. The projector had a broken part that they didn’t have a spare for so Dina went to the town office to put it on the list for the next group run.

Ellie gave back the cup to Donald and headed to the town office where Dina, Tommy, Maria and two other men she didn’t know were gathered around a map on a wall.

“There you are!” Tommy was the first to see Ellie come in. She came to them and hugged Tommy first then Maria. They were both starting to gray since she last saw them. Time hadn’t been so kind to Tommy, he looked haggard and moved slower than before but Maria was still steadfast and poise. 

“I’m just passing through,” she quickly said.

“The hell you are. Girl, if I have to chain you to a chair myself,” Tommy joked and introduced her to the two strangers, Lincoln and Hale. The way they held themselves seemed military, like FEDRA soldiers or perhaps just harden from living in this world. Lincoln looked more approachable, even though his arms were crossed against his chest. The latter was frowning and resting his hands on the butt of his rifle that was hanging off his side. Ellie came across similar people through her travels and knew to be on guard with these types.

“Linc is from Boston. A Firefly,” Tommy revealed and turn to face the man in question. “Ellie’s from Boston too.”

“Is that so?” the gruff voiced man spoke. He looked at her up and down.

“I’m guessing you knew Marlene?” Ellie questioned as she sized him up as well.

“I did. She and I were part of the group that started the Fireflies in Boston. Once things were established and she was leading the division, I relocated to the Chicago base.” Linc uncrossed his arms to place a hand on his hip and shift his stance. “Are you a Firefly?”

“No, I wasn’t. Marlene was a friend.” She didn’t want to give too much detail to the stranger.

“I see. I’m sorry to inform you but she was killed by a hostile at the Salt Lake City base almost ten years ago. The guy murdered half the base.”

Ellie tensed up, knowing exactly what person he was talking about. She watched for any hidden signs from the salt and peppered haired man. Was he here for Joel? For her? Tommy and Maria sensed the tension and Maria stepped in first.

“Lincoln and Hale joined us about eight months ago after travelling from South Dakota. They have been a great additional to our patrols and group runs,” Maria explained. Ellie nodded and noticed that Lincoln was staring at her too intently.

“When is the next run?” Dina asked, “Donald and I are looking for a few parts for the projector.”

Maria pointed at the map, on a spot east of Jackson. “Our next run is going to be a sweep. Yesterday, a patrol reported that a horde of infected are lingering around this deserted town. Lincoln and Hale scoped it out this morning and counted at least thirty in the area. We have people stationed at the Look Out towers making sure they aren’t moving west and keeping us updated every hour.”

“There’s something attracting them to that area which is keeping them from moving further. We think there’s an alarm going off in one of the buildings. Which is good because it’s localizing them but the noise will just attract more to the area,” Lincoln explained.

“We can only afford to send a group of six to take out the infected and find the source of that alarm. Once everything is clear the group can look for supplies,” Maria advised. “We’re just waiting for Damien’s group to return from their three-day run today. Then tomorrow morning, Lincoln and Hale will lead the group in this sweep, that is if things don’t change to the worse.”

“We need to play this smart. This area is outside our normal routes and log books showed the last crew to step foot there was twelve years ago. That’s a lot of time for things to change,” Tommy added.

“I can help,” Dina volunteered without question.

“I can too,” Ellie said immediately after. “I also need to collect some supplies, if that is ok.”

“Appreciate the extra help and you can take whatever you need,” Lincoln said. Hale, who was beside him, still hadn’t spoken a word.

Everyone was in agreement and they went over the plan once more in detail. It was a well thought plan that would ensure the group would be safe. They set the meet time for tomorrow and all left to go about the rest of their day. Dina went to find Howard and Robin to inform them of her new plans, leaving Tommy and Ellie to loiter outside the office.

“I’m glad you’ve been safe all these years but please tell me you’re staying, Ellie.” Tommy leaned against a post to support his injured leg. Even with one good eye he still conveyed a worried look.

Ellie turned her head to watch Dina walked down the streets. She cheerfully greeted all the passersby and ruffled the hair of a small child. Although Dina didn’t live in Jackson it was still a part her. “It’s not up to me.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our two favorite girls go on a run. What could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! There are graphic details of violence and use of weapons in this chapter. There is also a very minor character death.

Dina let out a hearty yawn as she stepped out of Maria’s house. She had stayed there for the night while Ellie went to stay at Tommy’s and Jesse’s parents and JJ had gone back to the farm yesterday evening. It was unusual that Dina volunteered to go on this run. She left her patrol days once she came back from Seattle and turn her main focus to the child growing in her belly. She had only offered to help now because of how threatening the horde could be if it got to Jackson or, worse, her home.

She put on her backpack and headed towards the stable. She said good morning to the Crop workers as she passed them by and waved to Mrs. Radford who was on a morning walk. There were days she missed living in the thick of Jackson and Robin plugged the notion of moving back from time to time. She had contemplated it but then she reminded herself why she left in the first place and brushed the thought away. As she turned the corner, she found Ellie sitting on a cement block, head in her notebook and drawing a dinosaur wearing a hat.

“Morning. Tommy made breakfast for us.” Ellie put away her notebook and produced a couple wrapped sandwiches, holding the thicker one out for Dina.

“How did you know I would be walking through here?” Dina accepted the meal, tore off the wrapper and bit into the warm fried egg and ham sandwich.

“I was taking a chance.” Ellie casually shrugged and jumped off the cement block.

They munched on their sandwiches as they walked towards the agreed upon meet point. Half the team was present and busying themselves by either checking their provisions or saddling their horses. Maria was with Lincoln by the weaponry cage and she called Ellie over. Umar, who had Templeton already saddled, waved Dina over to the stall.

“Hey Dina, good to see you this morning. You usually don’t stay overnight,” Umar cheerfully said. Umar had joined Jackson four years ago but only started working at the stables for two. The curly black-haired man was maybe a couple years older than her and always had a smile on his face and even bigger one for Dina. She knew he liked her, it wasn’t hard to miss that he went above and beyond for her. Dina liked him too and thought about reciprocating but she couldn’t bring herself to.

“Yeah, they needed some help on this run so I volunteer. I don’t want to waste these skills,” Dina joked as she flexed her muscles.

“Nah, you could never lose those mad skills. Make sure you show those infected who’s boss.” He winked as he passed the reins to her. “When you get back, maybe we can grab a drink at the diner?”

Every visit he asked and every time she gave the same response. “Maybe another day.”

Dina gave Umar a salute and maneuvered her brown and white mare out of the stall. She exited the stable and almost bumped into the blonde-haired man she met yesterday. Hale was leaning against the outside wall, sharpening his guthook knife with a rock. At the end of his knife hung a pendant she had seen before. A blue star with a white dove over top of it. Her sister Talia had one similar.

“I haven’t seen one of those pendants in years. Are you Jewish?” Dina gestured at the jewelry. Hale didn’t look up from his task and continued to stroke his blade.

“No,” he said harshly. When she didn’t move, he looked at her with menacing eyes. The look was familiar to her but she couldn’t place it. She could see an old, long healed scar on the left side of his face. It was a long gash that started from his temple and down to below his earlobe. It made him look even more intimidating but Dina held her gaze for a few seconds, before moving to join the rest of the group. Everyone was present and she greeted the usual suspects that went on these high-risk missions

“He’s a thrill.” Dina tipped her head towards Hale. The group looked over to see who she was pointed at and they all laughed.

“Ah, don’t pay mind to him. He’s a bit intense but he’s saved my ass a few times out there,” Paige reassured her and gave her a hearty hug hello.

“Quiet but he’s a good guy,” Damien added before giving her a hug as well.

“Yeah, I’m just glad he and Lincoln are on our side. I wouldn’t want to be up against them.” Bryce, the youngest in the group, piped up. His older brother, Joon agreed as well.

After hearing her friend’s praises, it was surprising to Dina that it took her this long to officially meet Lincoln and Hale. But it did make sense that their paths never crossed. Jackson had grown tremendously over the years with newcomers arriving almost monthly. Every time she visited, there were new faces around town. Regardless what her friends said, Dina still had an unsettling feeling about the man with the scar.

~ ~ ~

Within four hours, the group reached the Look Out tower that was closest to where the infected were congregating. The night crew had let them know that the alarm had turned off two hours ago and the horde had dispersed but had moved into the various homes and buildings. This had changed Lincoln’s plan to pick them off from afar then search for strays. It was now a stealth mission and they were split into groups of two to sweep the streets and buildings. Lincoln and Hale were to take lead, with Damien and Paige close by and then the brothers and Ellie and Dina were assigned to the flanks.

As they neared the deserted town, the group engulfed in the quiet, not wanting to make a misstep and attract the horde back to them. Dina gestured to Ellie to follow her to the first run-down house. They went around the house, peeking through the windows before entering the open back door with their guns drawn. It was quiet but it didn’t mean the infected weren’t there.

The main floor was clear so they ascended the stairs, minding the creaks from the steps. Ellie was the first to hear moans coming from the room beside the stairs and she gave Dina the signal. They glanced inside to see two Runners, bent over clawing at their faces. Their backs were turned which gave the two women the advantage. They traded for their knives and each took a Runner, piercing their blades into their necks. They moved around the rest of the upper floor and fortunately didn’t locate any more infected in the house.

They moved to the next house, repeating their actions and making sure they kept an eye on each other. It was reminiscences of their old patrols. Together they would work as one, gliding around each other and giving non-verbal signs to communicate. It was like a dance, graceful, fluid and trusting.

A couple hours later Dina and Ellie entered their last building, a weed ridden graphics design office as Bryce and Joon were heading into the building next to them. The brother’s building was a clothing store that supposedly had the alarm that was attracting the horde in the first place. Dina couldn’t hear any alarms so whatever was making the sound must had ran out of juice.

Ellie held two fingers up to signal how many infected were in the room. This would make their total fifteen and not once did they have to discharge a firearm. This had to been a new record for them. Dina claimed the Clicker to her left, jabbing her knife into its fungus brain. The Clicker collapsed to the ground, allowing her time to watch Ellie effortlessly drop her target to the floor. Dina loved watching Ellie display her physicality. She was fearless when she stalked her prey. She could take one look inside a room and know exactly where to move and hide. She was so mentally strong in these situations and her strength and intelligence matched it. Many wouldn’t give that woman a second glance but Dina knew Ellie could take down an army of hundred with a pair of scissors.

“I think that’s it,” Dina exhaled. It was the first words either of them spoked out loud since they came into town.

“Yeah, we did good.” Ellie agreed. She began rummaging through the desks, pulling out papers and markers. Dina followed suit and was surprised how much was still left behind in the last thirty years. Most places would have been raided clean but it seemed this place was forgotten. She threw some pens and a small sowing kit in her bag then went to work on a computer tower. She ripped open the side panel and began extracting the batteries, fans and anything that looked useful. As she was stuffing her bag, Ellie raised a fist up and she stilled. The red head was at the far corner and pointed towards a hidden set of stairs. Dina nodded, drew out her handgun and follow Ellie up the dark staircase. They came to a room filled with tattered couches, a foosball table and overturned tables and chairs. A kitchen was straight ahead, next to a row of broken windows where the only source of light was coming through.

They went separate ways, hugging the walls for cover. They were half way clearing the room when a gust of wind breezed in, causing a couple of empty jars to tumbled and crash onto the floor near Ellie. In an instance, a Runner screamed and came barrelling out towards Ellie. She was tossed to the ground and she let out a loud grunt as the assailant tried to claw at her face. Her bun fell loose from the immediate attack and was tangling in the infected fingers causing her head to be whipped around. Dina quickly ran over, pulled the Runner from behind and fired two shots into its back.

“Mother-fucker!” Ellie yelled as she sat up, clutching the back of her head and checking her fingers for any blood.

“Ellie, are you ok?” Dina rushed to check for any injuries but Ellie got up and kicked the dead infected in anger before clutching her head again.

“Stupid fucker,” she spat.

“Where are you hurt? Ellie!” Dina pleaded. She pulled off her backpack to find her medical supplies.

“This stupid shit took a chunk out of my hair!” She rubbed the spot and only smears of blood traced her fingers. Between the infected fingers were strands of red hair.

“Are you kidding me?” Dina said in disbelief. “You’ve been beat up, stabbed, shot with an arrow and you’re whining about your hair?”

“It fucking hurt, Dina! Let me show you how much it hurt.” Ellie tugged at the end of Dina’s ponytail. She batted Ellie’s hand away but couldn’t help grin at her playful nature.

“Stop it, before I hair you death.” Dina flicked Ellie’s long locks with her fingers.

Ellie paused and quirk her lips. “Oh man, that was terrible.”

“I have more but I’ll let you mullet that one over.” Dina chuckled, obviously impressed by her second joke. 

Ellie grimaced and tried to contain a laugh. “Please. Please stop.”

“Comb and stop me.”

Suddenly, Ellie closed the gap between them and pulled her in for a kiss. Dina had been fighting with herself for two days to not kiss this woman but she couldn’t resist it anymore. She kissed back greedily, taking a hold of Ellie’s lower lip and biting it lightly. Ellie growled and challenged back, pressing Dina close against her and tackling her lips. They started to move backwards until Ellie was seated on a worn-out bench against a wall and she tugged Dina down so she could straddle her lap. Dina obliged and steadied herself by resting a hand on Ellie’s neck. Their eyes met and Dina saw the glint of lust in Ellie’s eyes. She had been hypnotized by those eyes many times before and she was losing herself again.

Ellie brushed the pad of her thumb across Dina’s lower lip before stroking a finger along her jawline to coax her in. They both drew in, lips meeting in the middle. It started slow, tongues stroking against one another. But it wasn’t enough for Dina, she needed more and began to whimper. Her hips pulsated on their own, hoping for some friction, and Ellie pulled her closer until her groin hit Ellie’s stomach. Ellie broke their lip embrace to trail kisses along the column of her neck and collarbone causing Dina to rock her hips faster.

_Boom!_

The noise shook the building and several items fell to the ground and shattered upon impact. Dust and dirt sprinkled the room as they tightly hugged each other, shielding their heads from the debris. Dina quickly jumped off Ellie and they rushed to the windows. The explosion came from the building next door, where Bryce and Joon were in. Black and white smoke pillowed through the open crevasses and glass was still raining onto the ground. Damien and Paige were up the street, running towards the building and Lincoln was coming from the opposite end after killing an infected. Dina and Ellie scanned the surroundings to make sure the sound didn’t attract any unwelcome guest. So far there were none.

“Shit, we should get down there,” Ellie urged.

As Dina turned, a figure from the second floor of the building next door caught her eye. It was hard to be sure through the haze of smoke but she knew it was Hale. She watched as he jumped onto a counter and began dismantling something from the ceiling. She grabbed Ellie’s arm and pointed at what she was seeing.

“What is he doing?” Dina asked. “How did he get to the building so fast? Shouldn’t he have been with Lincoln?”

They watched as Hale pulled at a device until it was hanging from its wires then carefully unhooked it from the ceiling.

“Maybe that’s the source of the alarm?” Ellie replied but she didn’t sound confident.

“But the alarms weren’t on when we arrived and they didn’t go off now. How would he know that was the source?” Dina questioned. They watched as Hale threw the contents in his backpack and rushed through the smoke to uncover air horns hidden around the room. He stuffed those in his bag as well then disappeared from their view.

“That wasn’t suspicious at all.” Ellie looked over at Dina. 

“Exactly. I don’t trust him. This morning I spoke with him briefly and was getting a bad vibe.” Even speaking about it raised the hair on Dina’s neck.

“I was getting the same feeling yesterday. Just stay alert and if we see anything else suspicious, we’ll let Maria and Tommy know.” Ellie rested a hand on her shoulder then gestured for them to get downstairs.

Damien, Paige and Lincoln were the first to arrive at the base of the building and began shouting for the brothers. Moments later, Joon and Hale dragged Bryce’s lifeless body out of the building. They were screaming for supplies as they laid Bryce on the pavement.

When Dina and Ellie made it down to the street, Joon was performing chest compression on his brother while Hale was applying pressure on an arm wound. Damien and Paige were digging in their bags for their medical supplies.

“What the hell happened?” Lincoln yelled.

“I don’t know. We were clearing the first floor and out of nowhere a blast came from under us. I was far away but Bryce got knocked out by it. When I came to, Hale arrived and got us out of there.” Joon huffed as sweat perspired from his forehead from doing the compressions.

“Hard to tell what cause the explosion but judging from the hole in the ground, it was pretty lethal. It’s a mess in there,” Hale gruff. He cleaned out Bryce’s wound and wrapped it with fresh bandages that Paige provided him.

“What were you doing on the second floor?” Dina unexpectedly questioned.

The man stood up and glared at Dina. “It was a fucking explosion. I was coming from the back and there was a fucking gaping hole between me and them. I went to the second floor to find another way in.”

Dina was about to butt back but she was interrupted by Ellie who grabbed her hand and gestured at a frantic Joon.

“Come on, baby brother! Wake up!” The other brother pounded on the younger brother’s chest but it wasn’t working. Every second he was getting tired from pumping Bryce’s chest and was losing his composure. Damien took over and Joon sat back on his heels, pleading again. Minutes when by and there was still no response from the youngest member.

Lincoln sent Hale to grab a couple horses then motion Damien to stop. As he did, Joon burst into sobs and held his face in his hands. Dina struggled to hold it in, pressing her fist firmly on her lips, but tears escaped. Ellie wrapped Dina in her arms and let her cry into her shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a particular scene in this chapter that was inspired by a TLOU2 fanart by @gibb.arts. Check out her Instagram after to see if you know what scene I was writing about!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected revelation takes Ellie to her past. But does she want to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst! Ellie angst!

When Hale arrived with the horses, he, Paige, and Joon immediately took Bryce’s body back to Jackson, leaving the rest of the group to finish the job and scavenge for supplies. It was evening when they arrived in back and were met with somber looks. Lincoln was instructed to see Maria at the town office and Damien went to find Joon. Ellie and Dina decided to head to Maria’s house to wash off the day’s sweat and grim.

“You ok?” Ellie asked. She found some towels in a hallway closet and handed the fluffiest one to Dina.

“Yeah.” The response was quiet so Ellie didn’t push further. It was never a good day when someone died during a patrol. Everyone knew how dangerous the jobs were but it was the risk they took to keep Jackson safe.

Ellie let the other woman take the shower first and she decided to wait outside on the porch. The sun had set and dusk settling the town. She sat on one of the wooden chairs and listened to the ambient noises. There were still folks milling about but most were in the comforts of their homes. Home. It had been so long.

Ellie massaged her lower back and grimaced that her body wasn’t recovering as fast as it used to. She didn’t know if she could continue the nomadic lifestyle for too long.

“Ellie?” Lincoln came into view. “Thought I would find you here.”

When Ellie didn’t respond, the older gentleman walked up the porch and eased into the chair beside her.

“You said you were from Boston, right?” he asked.

“Yeah, so?” She was too drained to socialize, especially with someone she didn’t know.

“It’s been bugging me but it finally came to me why you looked so familiar.” He reached behind him and Ellie panicked. Was he a WLF? Someone from David’s camp? She reached to her side and touched nothing. Fuck, she had left her revolver in her backpack.

He pulled out a rectangle paper from his back pocket and handed it to her. She reluctantly took it and flipped it over. It was a photo. A photo of a young Marlene, him and another woman. The woman resembled the height and size of Marlene, only she had reddish, shoulder length hair and a freckled face. She wore a Firefly pendant and was smiling in the photo. At a quick glance, the woman could be mistaken for her. Ellie looked up from the photo, speechless.

“The three of us started the Firefly resistance division in Boston. We were tired of being controlled by FEDRA so we turned to the light. We wanted to make a change and restore humanity. Marlene and I, we worked the front lines and did the recruitment. Her,” Lincoln pointed at the red headed woman in the photo. “She was the brains. She was the reason the Fireflies started looking for a cure. She was an infectious disease nurse and with her knowledge she was part of the research team that was studying the cordyceps infection in order to develop a vaccine, seeing how FEDRA was doing fuck all. She was so passionate and dammit, strong and stubborn. But Anna was the best of us.”

Anna. Her mother’s name. _Could he be telling the truth?_

“You’re making this up. You could have gotten this information anywhere.”

“Ellie, let me explain.”

“What? That you knew my mother? I didn’t even know her.”

“She was the love of my life and we were going to have a child together in this fucking chaos. But six months into her pregnancy, I was captured by FEDRA and tortured for information on the Fireflies. When I finally escape, I was told that Anna died shortly after given birth to a baby girl and no one knew what happened to the baby. I stayed in Boston to look for her but FEDRA was closing in on me and I had to relocated to Chicago. I thought about my baby every goddamn day and… and I think I finally found her.”

“Get the fuck out of here,” Ellie growled in a low tone and toss the photo at him. She got up from her chair, disgusted by the possible lie, to put some distance between them.

Lincoln caught the photo against his chest and looked at it with grieving eyes. “If you change your mind and want to know more about your mother, I kept some of her things. Just come find me.”

Ellie waited until he disappeared into the darken street before rushing to the living room where she left her backpack. She pulled out her notebook that held her most treasured belonging: her note from mom. Over the years, the paper had furthered browned and stained. The ink was fading but she had read the note so many times she knew it by heart. What was she hoping to find? A hidden clue about who her father was? But nothing hinted at it. If only Marlene was still alive.

She swore out loud and stuff the letter back in her pack. Was it true? Was Lincoln her father? Could she believe him? There must have been a reason why Marlene didn’t tell him where she had her? Her mind was spinning. She gripped the nearest chair until her knuckles went white.

“Ellie?”

She looked up to find Dina standing on the last step of the stairs, one hand on the railing. She was freshly showered and clothed. Her thick hair hung loose, framing her concerned face.

“Ellie, what’s going on?” Dina cautiously approached her and rested a hand on top of hers. Her warm touch loosened Ellie’s grip on the chair and her thoughts began to calm.

“I need to find Tommy.” Before Ellie could pull her hand away, Dina clasped it.

“I’ll go with.”

Together they walked in silence to Tommy’s but he wasn’t there. They headed to the Tipsy Bison but were told by a patron that he was still at the town office. As they approached the building, Hale was exiting but he didn’t bother to acknowledge them as he walked past. Inside, Maria and Tommy were sitting at the table, surprised to see them.

“Girls? You both had a long day. You should be resting,” Maria said.

Ellie approached the two so quickly she practically bumped the table forward. “Tommy, did you know Lincoln and Hale from your Fireflies days?”

Tommy stood up from his chair, confused at the abrupt question. “Well, Hale wasn’t never Firefly.” He paused before continuing. “I met Linc once when I was traveling to Denver. A bunch of us were assigned there and we had to make a stop in Chicago to help with a job.”

“Did you know?” Ellie asked forcefully. Her eyes were trained at Tommy.

“Know what?”

“Lincoln. That he could be my father?”

“What? What are you talking about?” Tommy darted his gaze to all the women in the room. Stopping at Dina as to ask for more information but she was just as surprised at the news as he. 

“He showed me a picture of a women that looked like me. Told me things about my mother and that… he’s my father. Did you know?” Her voice rose louder and she could feel her hands shaking. She was at the brink of losing control again. She tried to steady her breathing, until Dina place a hand on the small of her back and she trained her focus on the touch.

“He never said a thing to me and if I did know, I would have told you. I would never keep that from you.” he said sincerely.

“Ellie… is it possible?” Dina asked but when Ellie didn’t respond, she turned to the Jackson leader.

“Maria?”

Maria shook her head and was just as speechless. Silence filled the room as they digested the news.

“Can we trust them? Lincoln and Hale?” Dina finally spoke up.

“Of course, I can vouch for Lincoln and Hale has proven his worth,” Tommy insisted.

“They have also been an integrated part of Jackson since they settled here. On top of doing patrols, Lincoln helped plan the expansion for the west end and Hale has been recruiting and training new patrollers. Many people are not willing to go outside the walls because of how dangerous it is. Not to mention they’ve bettered the security at the hydro dam that it hasn’t been raided in months.” Maria added. “They have kept this town safe and many people trust them with their lives. Why would you ask that?”

Dina hesitated before relaying to the older woman what she and Ellie had witnessed back at the deserted town. She made sure to provide the details of Hale’s suspicious actions with the electronics before he helped Joon and Bryce. When she finished, Maria processed the information before reaching underneath the table to pull out a box. She spilled out the contents onto the flat surface: a metal square electronic device and four air horns.

“Hale just dropped these off. He said when the explosion happened, he ran in through the back end of the building but couldn’t get through so he went to the second floor to find another way. There he heard the faint beeping noise and knew that was the alarm that was attracting the horde. He disabled it so it wouldn’t attracted more, especially after the explosion. He bought the device to me and I’ll be giving them to Donald to assess it.” Maria explained, leaving Dina staring blanking at the device.

“Look, Ellie, maybe it’s true that Linc-” Before Tommy could finish his sentence, Ellie spun on her heels and left. She sped walk back to Maria’s with Dina trailing after, calling her to slow down. When they got back to the house, Ellie paced the floor, weighing her options as Dina looked on.

“What do you need?” Dina asked. 

“I don’t know. I just… I don’t want to deal with this shit right now,” Ellie muttered. She grabbed her backpack and went for the exit. 

“Where are you going?” Dina grabbed Ellie’s arm when she walked past her but Ellie continued forward, dragging Dina with her.

“Ellie!” Dina tugged at Ellie’s arm again but she shrugged off Dina’s hold. When she got to the front door she paused with her hand on the knob.

“I’m leaving.” Ellie turned her head sideways to face Dina.

Dina paused then looked away. “Fine, go.”

Ellie opened the door and walked towards the East Gate. When she told the gate guards she was leaving, they hesitated but checked that the surroundings were clear and parted the gate doors. Ellie clicked on her flashlight that was hooked onto backpack straps and walked into the night, not looking back.

~ ~ ~

It had to be at least a couple hours that Ellie had been walking through the dense forest. She couldn’t see Jackson anymore and the further she walked, the quieter it got. The full moon was wrestling to light a path and her flashlight wasn’t helping either. She had been in worst situation, like the time she spent two days in a pitch-black cave with three Clickers she had killed while she waited for a snow blizzard to pass.

Ellie came to a highway filled with abandoned vehicles and found a camper. She tested the side door and peered in - it was clear. She stepped in, locked and secured it with some rope for extra measure. She worked her way to the back of the camper where the bed was and threw her bag on top of it. She flopped down onto her back and sighed heavily.

Fuck. She missed Joel. He would have known what to do and tell her if she could trust this Lincoln guy. In fact, he probably knew him. She spent 25 years barely knowing her mother or anything about her father and now here was an opportunity. Or a fucking lie to trap her. The man did say he was a Firefly… maybe he was looking for her? Or Joel after what he did in Salt Lake City? Fuck, after all these years, the past was catching up to her.

She thought about one of Joel’s guitar lessons. It was one of the firsts and he was teaching her how to play the Alphabet song like she was five years old. It was annoying but she got it within an hour. Then he taught her Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star which took a bit but was easier to strum. Until she realized both songs were the exact same chords. The old man laughed his ass off like he pulled the baddest prank.

Ellie smiled. Joel was the closest to a father figured she ever had but he was now rehashed to memories. She accepted it and was already on the path forward. She didn’t need to be running to the past, she needed to focus on what was real. Like Dina. She still loved her. She felt it the second Dina came through those woods. After all these years Ellie knew she never stopped loving the woman that stay by her side until she stupidly pushed her away. And now she did it again. What was she thinking? Leaving Dina so abruptly because she couldn’t handle that she may have met her biological father. Did she just ruin her chances to make amends with her?

Ellie pulled out the hamsa she around wore around her neck and clasped it in her fist. It was the only connection she had between her and Dina. She never took it off except for the time the leather wristband it was originally attached to started to fray so she switched the charm to a silver chain she had found along her travels. Ellie liked to believe that the hamsa kept her safe all these years and that one day she could return the favor to Dina.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I usually try to post a new chapter every two weeks but decided I needed a break over the holidays and skipped posting last week.   
> Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Dina woke to the sounds of the rooster crowing and blinked at her bedroom ceiling. She had arrived back home yesterday afternoon after giving her respects to Joon and visiting Bryce’s grave. When Howard and Robin had asked where Ellie was, she gave a non-response. JJ was disappointed that his friend hadn’t return but Jesse’s parents seem to accept Dina’s answer so she went about the rest of her day like it was any other. But it wasn’t. She was in a foul mood because one, a friend had died on a run and two, Ellie’s sudden departure without an explanation. She shouldn’t have been surprised, Ellie had a history of being reckless and impulsive and it would have been a matter of time before she left again. Maybe it was for the best. Since Ellie turned up, Dina’s comfortable world was spinning out of her grasp and her feelings for Ellie were steadily resurfacing. Whenever the freckled face woman was around, Dina wanted to be near her. When she spoke, Dina would melt at the sound of her voice. And when she looked at her vibrant green eyes, it would send shivers down her spine. Every moment she fought the urge to kiss her, to take her back to her bed and keep her there for days. But she had to stay in control. She had a duty and responsibility to put her loved ones needs first. She couldn’t allow herself to open her heart again just to have it shattered for a second time. She never wanted to feel that pain again.

Dina rolled out of bed and threw on her favorite pair of jeans and blue button up. It was dawn and no one else was awake so she tiptoed downstairs to not stir anyone. She began her normal her routine, retrieving her pistol and knife and headed to the backdoor when she noticed something strange. The animals were roaming the fields and the barn door was wide open. Dina reached for the shotgun that was racked on the wall beside the door and crept out. One foot in front of the other, she slowly moved to the barn. She scanned the open field, looking for any hostiles but nothing out of the norm. The goats and sheep were intently watching her, munching on the grass as if they were watching an action movie. The chickens on the other hand couldn’t care less what their human owner was doing.

When she got to the barn, she back herself against the wall and listened. Someone was in there rustling about. She glanced in and saw a figure in one of the stalls. She cocked her shotgun and stepped into the barn.

“Hands up, asshole! Move so I can see you!” Dina yelled and poised her shotgun at the person. “Slowly!”

“Don’t shoot!” The female voice raised her hands, a pitchfork in one, and stepped out of the stall. It was the last person Dina expected.

“What the fuck, Ellie!” Dina screamed and lower her weapon.

“… sorry?” Ellie shrugged her shoulders.

“What are you doing here?” It was too early for Dina to deal with this. Maybe she was dreaming and still in bed?

Ellie rubbed the back of her neck hesitantly. “I shouldn’t have left, Dina.”

“So you decided to come back here and scare the shit out of me?! I could have shot you!” Dina unloaded her shotgun and rested it to her side.

“I’m sorry for leaving last night… I thought I would come back and help around the farm. I’ve collected all the eggs, refilled the water basins and now mucking the stalls. I also noticed a section of the fence in the south is about to fall, I can fix that –.”

“Why?” Dina interrupted. Ellie stood there silently and contemplated her answer.

“We’re fine, Ellie. Just leave.” Dina walked out of the barn and Ellie dropped the pitchfork and reluctantly followed. Halfway from the house, JJ was dressed and walking towards the barn. He must had woken up from the commotion and wanted to help with the morning chores. His eyes lit up when he saw his friend and he blasted towards her. Dina swore to herself.

“You’re back!” The little boy screamed and launched himself into Ellie’s arms. She effortlessly caught him into a hug. He began chattering a thousand questions and telling her he could show Ellie how to the do the chores properly. Ellie answered them all but suggested that he ask his mom if it was ok that she was helping. Still in Ellie’s arms, JJ turned to Dina with his puppy eyes and little pout. _Traitor_. She couldn’t resist her son and when she relented, both Ellie and JJ cheered and high-fived each other. Excitingly, JJ jumped down from Ellie’s arms and dragged her back into the barn.

For the remaining of the morning, Ellie and JJ stayed join to the hip. They mucked the stalls, fed the animals and cleaned out the chicken coop while Dina tended to the crops. At lunch, Robin brought out sandwiches and iced tea and together the three of them ate on the back steps. JJ took over most of the conversation which was a relief for Dina to not have to speak to Ellie.

Afterwards, Ellie wanted to check the south fence for what supplies she needed to repair it. JJ wanted to come with but Dina reminded him he had to start on his school lessons. The little goober pleaded and pleaded then negotiated he would complete two lesson plans tomorrow so Dina agreed. She took the empty plates and cups inside and from the kitchen sink window, she watched the pair walk hand in hand down the field. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight. How many times had she envisioned this moment five years ago? Her, Ellie and JJ living as a loving family. The two of them teaching JJ how to become a decent human being and protector. No, she couldn’t allow herself to fantasize anymore.

Dina washed the dishes and went to her work room that was down the hall, past the guest room. It was where she made her traps, trip wires and repaired electronics. She sat down at the table and smiled at the collection of photos that were tacked on the wall in front of her. Many photos were taken when she lived in Jackson. She had some of Jesse and his parents, one with Joel, Tommy and Maria and a few of her and her Jackson friends. Her most treasured were the photos of Talia and her mother that were in the center of the collage. She didn’t have any photos of Ellie but that was by choice.

The CB radio on the table had a steady stream of chatter, mostly the crew at the Look Out towers were checking back in with Jackson but nothing too concerning for her. She rarely used the radio and only had it for Maria and Jesse’s parents’ peace of mind. She lowered the volume on the control head and turn to her latest project. The projector Donald had asked her to look at, had the lid open and contents exposed. One of the fans had stopped running which was causing the unit to overheat and stop working. Dina hunker down and began replacing and testing the wiring to get the motors to start again. A couple hours later she soldered the last wire, tested the power and voila! the projector came to life. It was so satisfying when she was able to fix something from the Old World. As she put the casing back on the projector, she heard a door open and close and then Ellie, JJ and Robin’s muffled voices. She put the repaired projector away and joined the gang in the kitchen.

“Ellie, you must stay for supper. It’s the least we can do for all the help you’ve done today.” Dina heard Robin say. Robin was with JJ was at the sink, who was standing on a stool and washing his hands.

“I really should get back to the cabin before it gets too dark. I have some food so I’m good for supper.” Ellie insisted. She was standing close to the backdoor as to make a speedy exit.

“Dina, please tell Ellie she has to stay.” Robin ordered in a motherly tone.

“She can do whatever she wants but she is welcomed to stay for dinner before she heads out.” Dina made sure to keep her tone neutral. She didn’t want to give the impression she wanted Ellie to stay because really, she didn’t want her to stay longer than she needed to.

Ellie refused again but said she would be back tomorrow to fix the fence. JJ liked the idea and ran to give her a hug. When Ellie said her goodbyes to the other adults, Dina only nodded back.

The next day, Ellie came back like she said. She started the morning chores with JJ but kept her distance from Dina. In the afternoon, JJ went back in the house to complete the lesson plans he promised to do while Ellie and Howard went to work mending the south fence. They were missing a few supplies so they temporary reinforced the enclosure to the best of their abilities. When they finished and return to the house, Ellie again refused to stay for dinner and left to the cabin.

The next few days became a routine, Ellie would arrive in the morning and help with what was needed around the farm. It was slightly annoying for Dina that the red head continued to come around but the help was gratefully needed since Howard’s back was giving him grief again. Dina could tell by the way Howard would walk with a forward tilt or when he thought no one was looking, massage the muscles on his lower back. He was too stubborn to admit it nor rest for the day when he knew there were chores to attend to. But with Ellie taking on most of the tasks it allowed Howard to take a break. She even took on the perimeter checks, chopping the firewood and hunting. Yet she never stayed for dinner even at the older couple’s insistence.

JJ absolutely loved having Ellie around which worried Dina. He knew about the infected and other dangers lurking the world but as a mother, she wanted him to keep his innocence as long as she could. She wanted him to have the childhood she didn’t have. To grow up without fear, to never experience starvation or have to kill. It was evitable she would have to teach JJ how to load and shoot a gun and other survival skills but she wanted to do it when he was older. Right now, he was still her baby.

One late afternoon, Dina came back from checking the traps to not see Ellie milling about like she usually did. She figured Ellie was inside the house or left to her cabin so she took her time outside. She went to secure the barn door that was left open when she noticed the woman in question up in the rafters. Her back was towards Dina and she was sitting on a wooden crate, facing out towards one of the open windows.

When Dina climbed the ladder to the second level, Ellie still hadn’t noticed her. She wasn’t buried in her notebook like Dina thought, instead she was widdling at a piece of wood that was shaped like an elephant. She was so focus on her task, carefully sliding the sharp blade along the surface of the wood and inspecting it for any imperfections. She displayed the same quiet energy when she was drawing in her journals. Back in the day, Dina could watch Ellie draw for hours. 

“Hey,” Dina softly called out. Ellie stopped what she was doing and looked up at her with a sheepish smile.

“Hey. Sorry, I was just finishing this for JJ. I noticed that he still likes elephants and I didn’t want him to see this yet so I am hiding out here.” She held up the wooden elephant and Dina came closer for a better look.

“You’re really good at that.” She lightly traced the animal, admiring the smoothness of the lines. Ellie blushed at the compliment and began putting her things in her bag.

“When Joel and I were making our way across the country to find Tommy, he would spend the nights doing these wood sculpture things and leave them for anyone to pick up. He taught me the technique but I never had the steady hand like his.” Ellie held up her left hand to show the tiny nicks on her fingers and a larger gash on the index. It was the first time Ellie openly showed her maimed hand to her.

Dina scooted Ellie over to make room on the crate and pulled out some clean rags and alcohol from her bag. She carefully poured the liquid on the cloth and asked for Ellie’s hand. Dina applied the wet cloth over the nicks and when she reached the larger wound, Ellie winced aloud when the alcohol came into contact.

“You’ll survive,” Dina teased and continued her task. “When did you start doing these?”

Ellie shrugged as Dina carefully applied more alcohol on the cuts. “Maybe a few years. Notebooks are harder to come by so I just started carving at pieces of wood until I came across another book. It’s really calming so I do it here and there.”

“Do you keep them?” Dina wet a new rag and began cleaning the dirt off the knuckles and nubs of Ellie’s left hand. She felt Ellie still from the attention on the old injury and the air between them thicken.

“Um, no, I never keep them. I liked Joel’s idea of leaving them for someone else to find. Kind of like a treasure or collectible.” Ellie’s voice was even-keel but husky. The tone felt sensual and it made Dina’s heart race. 

“I think that’s a beautiful gesture,” Dina murmured without looking up. She pulled out a small box from her bag, retrieved a band-aid that had a yellow squared buck-toothed cartoon on it and wrapped it on Ellie’s larger cut. She admired her handy work but still cradled Ellie’s hand. 

“You’ve never asked me about it.” Ellie said and Dina gave a look as if she didn’t register the statement. “My fingers...”

Dina smoothed the hand with hers and gently massaged the half digits when she realized this was Ellie’s fret hand. Had she played a guitar since?

“She bit them off. Abby…” Ellie started, “I found her in Santa Barbara, strung up on a pole, weak and left to die. I freed her but I still made her fight me. I had her down. Pinning her and my fingers must have slipped in her mouth because next thing, I felt the pain and… she fucking bit my fingers off… But I kept at her. I had her head underwater, so close to killing her but then… I stopped… I let her go.”

Ellie’s face went blank as if she was reliving the moment.

“Oh, Ellie,” Dina whispered. She couldn’t fathom what the intense interaction was like for Ellie.

Ellie clutched Dina’s hand as to say something more, that she listened to her. After all these years they still had this unspoken bond. A bond that Dina never had with anyone else. Ever since Ellie came back, she began to miss the feeling of love and companionship from a lover. She only wanted it to come from this woman but she still couldn’t bring herself to trust her.

Dina caught Ellie’s eyes flicker down to her mouth. She could let her kiss her but it wouldn’t never just be a simple kiss. It would be a kiss that would lead to another and another until her barriers were down and Ellie would have her heart. Before Ellie could lean forward, she stood up from her seat.

“Robin and Howard have been on my case with you traveling back and forth every day. They want me to agree with you to stay in the guest room.” Dina casually changed topics as she dusted the dirt off the back of her pants.

“Is that what you want?” Ellie got up as well but didn’t move any further.

“To be honest, no. Given our past, it would be uncomfortable to have you staying in my home.” Dina answered truthfully. “But I’m willing to come to a compromise for all the help you have done these past few days. You can stay here in the barn rafters. Of course, you can still go about with your day. Don’t feel like you are obligated to stay or check in with us.”

Ellie looked around the space and pondered for a moment before agreeing to the offer. Dina nodded and turn to leave, knowing full well she had just made a grave mistake.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who gave me kudos and comments on my last chapter. It really gave me the boost to keep writing :)

“What are you doing?”

Ellie was on her hands and knees when she looked up from the hole she was digging to see Dina’s son squatting three feet away from her.

“Hey buddy! I’m digging for worms.” She grinned at JJ and picked up a dirt covered worm and held it up. He let out an eww but still inched closer to inspect the squiggly garden habitant.

“Why?” The Asian boy was now right beside her, staring at the hole in the ground.

“I’m planning to go fishing and I need the worms for bait. Bait helps catch the fishes.”

“Fishing? Oh! I read about fishing in one of my books! I’ve never fished before.” he exclaimed. “Can I help dig?”

Ellie handed the small hoe to JJ and showed him where to continue. He used all his might to dig but small clumps of dirt were removed. Ellie didn’t mind, she enjoyed his company and teaching him new things. He was a curious one and he seem to absorb what she showed him like a sponge. She also felt like she owed it to Jesse to take care of him in whatever way she could.

“Hey JJ, before I forget. I have something for you.” Ellie reached in her pocket, pulled out the small wooden elephant and handed it to JJ. His mouth dropped open and his eyes widen at the gift. He plucked the elephant from her and rolled it in his small hands before looking up at Ellie and wrapping his arms around her neck. The force almost pushed Ellie backwards but she steadied herself and hugged the little boy back.

“I love it, Ellie!” he screamed. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” 

“You’re welcome, buddy.” Ellie patted his back and savoured the embrace before he pulled back to examine the sculpture again. He then politely excused himself and excitedly ran back to the house, calling his mom and grandparents.

Ellie chuckled and collected the worms that were unearthed and placed them in a tin can. She had been staying in the barn for a week now and for the first in a long time, she felt safe. She had four walls, a roof over her head and people she could trust. She craved to stay with this family but only as long as Dina wanted her there. It seemed hopeful, every day that passed Dina was opening up and letting her guard down. She would communicate her day plans to Ellie, tell her corny jokes and if they were working together, they would talk endlessly. They mostly talked about JJ or random things. They never bought up the past or Lincoln or why she left so abruptly that night. Which was fine because she didn’t want to revisit the topic.

She tossed in a few more worms in the can and wiped the muck off her hands. She was aiming to leave soon so that it was still morning when she got to the lake. She got up to dust her pants when JJ came back out, still holding his wooden toy and dragging Dina with him. 

“Mama! Ellie gave me this present and it’s an elephant and I love elephants!” he spoke in rapid succession without taking a breath. Dina tried to calm him down as he continued his rambling.

“Oh, oh, Ellie, tell Mama where you’re going!” he added. Dina looked at Ellie with a quizzical eyebrow.

“I’m… planning to go fishing?” She didn’t know why she said it as a question.

“No, no, the whole story!” JJ huffed irritably.

“Ok, ok, buddy,” Ellie laughed before changing to a serious tone. “Dina, I’m digging worms for bait so I can use them for fishing. Hopefully I’ll catch some for dinner tonight.”

“Wow, fishing? Never heard of it,” Dina joked that made Ellie roll her eyes in jest.

“Can I come fishing with Ellie?” JJ bounced on his feet, hoping for the answer to go his way.

“JJ, I think Ellie might want to go alone,” the mother replied and he gave a dejected look.

“I don’t mind if he comes if you don’t. In fact, if you aren’t busy why don’t you join too? If it will make you feel better having two of us to watch JJ. I’m heading to the lake between here and Jackson. It’s not too far.” Ellie proposed, expecting Dina to immediately turn down the offer.

“Please, Mama?” JJ tugged at his mom’s arm and to Ellie’s surprise, Dina agreed. Ten minutes later, they were saddled on Templeton and heading to the lake.

~ ~ ~

Ellie had a lot of memories of this lake. A lot of firsts. Swimming with Joel, fishing with Tommy, playing her guitar in front of her friend… her first kiss with Cat even though she secretly wished it was Dina. She couldn’t remember the last time she was here but she had a sudden urge to go.

When they arrived, the lake was a beautiful bluish green and at certain angles, the Wyoming landscape clearly mirrored off the water. The area was quiet, still, no one or thing was present. They were fortune to not run into any infected on their way to their destination as well. The Jackson patrols took their duties seriously that at times it felt like the infected didn’t exist in the world. These were the small wins that were not take for granted.

Ellie directed Dina to steer Templeton to the open clearing next to the lake where a rowboat had washed up. She dismounted first to help JJ down then went to check the boat. They were in luck, there were no visible damages and they used it to row to the middle of the lake.

She handed Dina a fishing rod then gave JJ the second one. She showed him the mechanics of the rod and taught him how to hook the worm while Dina idly watched. For practice, she showed him how to cast and reel the rod before they casted the line once more and left it in the water. Dina did the same with her rod and settled back on the port side of the boat, humming lightly. Ellie was on the opposite side with JJ sitting between her legs, both of them holding onto the end of the rod.

The two women talked about the scenery, what chores needed to be done for tomorrow and had a rock-paper-scissor battle on who had to do laundry. They did some fun bickering but mostly laughs filled the boat. It was moments like these that reminded Ellie how much she was in love with Dina.

“JJ, your hair is getting long. When we get home, I’ll give it a little trim.” Dina reached over and ran her fingers through the boy’s thick mop. JJ shook her hand off his head and then began squealing. The rod was tugging from his tiny hands and Ellie quickly grasped it before it could slip away. He vibrated as Ellie instructed him to reel the line. After moments of reeling and releasing, the line shortened enough for her to pull the line out and a midsize trout dangled at the end. The boy beamed at the sight of his catch and couldn’t stop staring at it when she placed it in the tarp bag she had brought.

The next couple hours, they continued to get bites until their bag couldn’t hold any more. They called it a day and Ellie rowed them back to shore but instead of heading back to the farm, Dina suggested they stop in Jackson since they were close by. She figured they could trade some of the fresh fish for other meats at the butcher shop and celebrate their fun day with that for dinner. 

It was a good idea. They did catch too many fish that it wouldn’t all fit in the freezer but Ellie hadn’t been back in Jackson in over two weeks. She didn’t know if she was prepared to show her face but she agreed. It was early afternoon and a certain someone she wanted to avoid was most likely out on patrol.

~ ~ ~

She was wrong. When they arrived in Jackson, Lincoln was in the stables talking to Umar. He saw her come in but didn’t approach her but she could feel his stare burn the back of her head. She ignored him as she walked out with Dina and JJ and they made their way to the butcher shop. Dina was able to trade half their bag of fish for packs of dried jerky and a large cut of smoked ham. Afterwards, they walked down main street and visited the locals that greeted them. Ellie asked for Tommy but he and Maria were at the hydroelectrical dam for the week. Without them in town to visit, Ellie was ready to head out but Dina wanted to make one last stop to visit Donald at the repair shop. Dina suggested that Ellie take JJ to the playground and would meet them there when she was done. She gladly accepted and she and JJ walked hand in hand to the park. A couple of his friends were already there and he took off to show them his wooden elephant. As Ellie leaned against the railing bordering the playground, a larger person came up beside her. She knew exactly who it was.

“Nice to see you back,” Lincoln said softly.

“I didn’t come back for you.” Ellie snipped and kept her eyes forward on the kids.

“I know. I didn’t think you would be back but I’m glad you stuck around. Um, I know what I told you is hard to believe, especially in this world and with no way to prove it but I wanted to give you this.” Lincoln pulled out a photo and a silver ring with a blue gem. “This is my favourite photo of Anna and this ring was hers. It was given to me after they told me she was dead. I kept them all these years but I want you to have them.”

He waited for a response but Ellie didn’t move. He rapped his knuckles lightly on the railing and sighed.

“Ok. I’ll see you around, Ellie.” He left the photo and ring on the ledge and walked off.

She waited for a few minutes then verted her eyes to the items. She picked them up and inspected the ring first. It was a simple silver band with the clarity of the blue gem clouded over. The photo was faded and creased but it was clear that it was the same women from the other photo Lincoln had shown her the other night. This was a solo photo of Anna sitting on a couch, smiling and cradling her rounded belly. She wore the same ring that Ellie was holding.

Ellie flipped the photo over and on the back was scrawled in faded ink: Six months pregnant with baby Ellie. She choked back a cry and squeezed her eyes tight. She knew in her heart this woman in the photo was her mother. But was Lincoln really her father? He seemed well intent and Ellie was started to believe that was true as well.

She watched JJ slide down the playground slide and rushed up the ladder to do it again. Even though people could tell the boy who and what his father was like, he would never meet him. Like how she would never meet her mother. But if JJ was given a chance to know Jesse, she would tell him to take it. Maybe this was her chance.

Ellie pocketed the photo and ring and went back to watching JJ play with his friends. When Dina arrived a half hour later, Ellie had made her decision. She found Lincoln back in the stables tending to his horse and he was taken back when she approached him. 

“If you are still up for it, I’m willing to talk.” Ellie said. “The next time I’m in town?”

Lincoln nodded and Ellie did the same. She went to Dina and JJ who were by the South Gate with Templeton. When they all nested in their positions on the horse, Dina turned her head to Ellie. “Everything alright?”

“It will be.”

~ ~ ~

Ellie sat in front of the main floor bathroom while Dina was busily trimming JJ’s hair. After dinner, the child demanded that she be there to keep him company but since the bathroom couldn’t fit the three of them, she resorted to sitting in the hallway. As she sat there, she busied herself drawing a sketch of her mother from what she remembered off the photo. She was careful to not waste the space as she was on her last blank page.

“Alright, kid. You are done!” Dina brushed the clippings off his neck and removed the sheet that was wrapped around him to shake off the excess hair. “Now go upstairs to Grandma and she will help you take a bath and put you to bed. I will be up there after I clean up to kiss you good night.”

“But Mama, I’m not tired!” he whined.

“JJ, it’s already past your bedtime. Now say goodnight to Ellie and go upstairs.” Dina ordered. JJ pouted but jumped off the chair. He stalked over to Ellie, said goodnight and kissed her on the cheek before running up the stairs.

“I don’t know where he gets that energy. I’m beat.” Ellie joked and eased up from floor. Dina swept the trimmings off the floor to put in the trash then she placed the back of the chair against the sink and patted the empty seat.

“Come on, your turn.” she said.

“What?” Ellie narrowed her brows in confusion.

“Ellie, your hair is a mess. This is the longest I’ve ever seen it and your ends are dried to shit. Get on this chair so I can cut it.”

Ellie knew not to tangle with Dina when she demanded something so she pulled her bun free and sat on the chair. Dina directed her to tilt her head back and she turned on the tap to wet her hair. She began lathering shampoo between the threads, getting every inch then used her fingertips to massage Ellie’s scalp. The massage was relaxing. Too relaxing that she found herself wrapped in a trance. As Dina ran her fingers down to her neck, Ellie closed her eyes to suppress a moan. God, this woman was killing her.

What seemed like hours, Dina finally squeezed the remaining water from Ellie’s hair, toweled it then had her stand up so she could turn the chair to face the sink. Ellie sank back down and watched from the mirror as the black-haired woman draped a sheet around her neck and removed the towel off her head. Dina caught her staring and smirked as she brushed the knots out of her wet hair.

“Ow!” Ellie winched as Dina forcefully brush the brownish-red strands.

“I told you your hair is fucked!” Dina retorted but she eased up on her brushing. “So how do you want it? Did you just want the bad ends cut?”

“Might as well cut it all off,” Ellie answered. She couldn’t remember the last time she had cut it. Maybe when she was in Utah, maybe earlier? “Just to my shoulders.”

Soon Ellie was in pure torture. This was worst than being impaled with a broken arrow. She believed Dina was purposely grazing the tips of her fingers on her ears and neck just to mess with her. The feathering touches enflamed her insides that she had to clench her legs together to taper it in. She listened to the snips coming from the scissors and focused on her breathing. In. Out. Slow and steady. It’ll be over soon.

“JJ had a lot of fun today. Thanks for taking him fishing.” Dina interrupted the silence and glanced at the mirror to look at her.

“Yeah, anything for him.” Ellie gave small smile and watched Dina cut the last chunk of hair and began combing the now shorten mane. Dina bent down to check the length and began trimming the ends to even it out. Her face was so close to hers, Ellie could feel the warmth of her breath on the nape of her neck.

“I saw you talking to Lincoln in the stables. What was that about?” Her voice startled Ellie that she bumped head against Dina’s hand. 

“Yeah, um, I had some time to think about it and I think he might be telling the truth.” Ellie composed herself and shifted in her seat.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, it’s… I can’t really explain it.” Ellie hesitated but pulled the photo from her back pocket and held it up. “He showed me this photo of a woman and I just know she’s my mother.”

Dina examined the picture and was surprised at the similarities. “She looks like you.”

“That’s why I need to see this through. I told him I would give him a chance to talk the next time I visit. It’s what I need to do.” Ellie explained. She watched for a reaction but Dina gave a tight-lipped smile and continued to snipped her hair. Ellie placed the photograph back in her pocket and resumed sitting silently, wishing for the agony to end.

“And done,” Dina whispered and she set her scissors down. She gently mussed Ellie’s hair to shake off any loose hair then took off the covering wrapped around Ellie’s neck. She went to brush off more hair but Ellie quickly stood up from the chair to do it herself.

“Thanks, D,” Ellie quickly said and she ran her hands through her hair to test the length and weight. It was still long enough to tie back in a short ponytail but was lighter, which was relief on her neck that she didn’t know was nagging her.

“You missed one.” Dina reached over and used her thumb to remove the hair that clung to Ellie’s cheek. The touch was almost non-existent but it etched into her skin. Instinctively, Ellie tilted her head so the other woman’s hand cupped her cheek and she closed her eyes upon contact. Dina kept her hand there and Ellie took the opportunity to placed a tender kiss on the palm. She trailed her lips upwards until her bottom lip rested on the tip of Dina’s thumb. She lingered it there for a moment then captured it with her teeth, gently scrapping the skin and nail, before sucking the thumb whole and letting it ride against her wet tongue.

Dina’s eyes darken and her lips parted as she watched the sensual act. She pushed the chair between them out of the way and closed the space. She removed her thumb out of Ellie’s mouth and replaced it with her own. The kiss started slow, loitering as if to savour it. Then the kiss became a necessity, bruising, as if it could never be enough.

“The door,” Ellie exhaled and she felt around the air until her hand connect with the side of the wood and she pushed it shut. Once closed, Ellie pulled Dina close against her and engulf them in another kiss. They moaned in unison as their tongues slid against each other with urgency.

Ellie fumbled with Dina’s waistband but she stopped her. Slowly, Dina grasped the ends of Ellie’s shirt and tore it over her head, revealing the hamsa necklace against her naked chest. Dina picked up the charm between her fingers to examine it.

“I can’t believe you kept this after all these years,” Dina murmured. She then pushed Ellie against the sink and enveloped a taunt nipple in her mouth, sucking and flicking the bud. Ellie groaned a bit too loudly but she didn’t care, she needed to be touched by this woman.

Dina alternated her attention on both breasts as she reached down to unbutton Ellie’s jeans and slide her hand beneath the fabrics to cup the warm mount. Ellie moaned at the touch and tilted her hips for better access. She steadied one hand on the edge of the sink and the other on the back of Dina’s head as Dina snaked her fingers between the wet folds and found her prize. An engorged clit waiting to be noticed. Gently, she moved her fingers in slow circles causing Ellie to match the rhythm with her hips and beg for more.

Ellie pushed against the fingers then the blood rushed to her head as she felt two fingers insert inside her. An uncoherent sound escaped from her lips and she scrambled to pull her lover to face her. She kissed the woman immediately as the fingers thrusted inside her with vigor. Her breath hitched with each pump. Her eyes closed to fixate on the building pressure between her legs. Ellie felt a bite on her shoulder and instantly her head tipped back and her mouth gaped open. She suppressed a moan to not alert the others in the house, but it only intensified the sensation. She came in succession that it became unbearable and she whimpered. The fingers slowed and when they stilled, Ellie felt her heels touch the floor. She hadn’t realized her body had stiffened.

When Ellie rolled her head back up, Dina removed her hand out of her pants and planted a trail of kisses on her bare collarbone. She hummed at the attention and bought Dina in for a kiss.

“Mommy?” A voice came from behind the door. They stopped with their lips pressed together.

“Yeah, JJ?” Dina called out. Ellie prayed that the boy wouldn’t open the bathroom door.

“I waited for you but you haven’t come up.” JJ’s muffled voice replied.

“Ok, I’ll be right out.” Dina assured and frantically, Ellie button her pants and took her shirt that Dina held out to her. When they were presentable, Dina opened the door to find JJ standing in the center.

“Oh, Ellie! Mama cut your hair too?” JJ perked up when he noticed Ellie’s short hair. Ellie nodded with fluster cheeks.

“Come on, you goober. Let’s get you to bed.” Dina urged and pushed JJ to moved.

“Can I sleep with you tonight?” The boy asked his mother and Ellie grimaced, knowing their rendezvous was over for the night.

“Not tonight, JJ.” 

“Please?”

Dina turned to Ellie with an apologetic look before she was whisk away by the tiny child. Ellie watched them climb up the upstairs then tried to contain a grin as Dina give her a one last smothering look.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter contains details of violence and use of weapons
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!

Dina hadn’t realized she had been smiling all morning until she rubbed her cheeks from the soreness. It was all Ellie’s fault. It had been twenty days and eleven hours since their escapade in the bathroom and Dina was still reminiscing it. The other day she was standing in the middle of the greenhouse, remembering the details of Ellie’s body before being interrupted by a sheep that mosey its way in. Her daydreaming didn’t stop there, she would catch herself washing dishes, on a perimeter check and many times in said bathroom, sitting on the toilet gazing at the sink. But neither of them initiated to repeat the act and with a household of five they were hardly ever alone. On top of that Ellie was making regular trips to Jackson to visit Lincoln. Ellie had left yesterday morning and Dina was eagerly awaiting her return home this evening. Home. Somehow, over the past few weeks Ellie had slowly brought down her barriers and became a welcome addition.

She hung the last damp bedsheet on the clothes line and as she went to grab the laundry basket to head back inside, a figure on a horse in the distance caught her eye. The person was larger and wider. It definitely wasn’t Ellie but it was still too far away for her to make out who it was. They rarely had visitors and if they did, they usually had advance notice. She quickly ran into the house to alert her in-laws of the unwelcome visitor and grabbed her rifle. When she walked back outside, the person was closer and guiding its black stallion along the fence line until it reached the gate door. She cocked her rifle and poised it at the visitor.

“Whoa, there,” Hale smirked with his hands up. “Just here on a friendly patrol.”

“We don’t get a lot of visitors and the patrol routes don’t come near here,” Dina called out as she walked closer. She didn’t lower her weapon as she stopped a few meters away from him.

“I figured I would extend my route. No harm.” He lowered her hands and rested it on the pommel of his saddle. Dina kept an eye on his hands, judging to see if he would reach for his sidearm.

“We’re all good here so you can move along.” She demanded and stood her ground. She heard a distance sound of a door opening and assumed it was Howard that had come out. Hale, hearing the noise as well, briefly glimpsed past her before focusing his attention back at her.

“You’re living pretty cozy down here. A family and a new girlfriend to boot. You seem to have it all.” He raised a hand to rub the scar on the left side of his face as if it was nagging him. 

“Is there a reason you are still here?” Dina was getting tired of his passive aggressiveness and swore that if he didn’t keep moving, she would shoot him right there and deal with the consequences later.

“Like I said, just on patrol.” He examined the land, taking in the set up of the various structures. “You got a nice place. Would be a shame if something bad happen.”

“Is that a threat?”

“In this world, everything is a threat. Someone is bound to take what you got,” Hale said and glanced up at the sky at a passing black bird. “Sooner or later, you’ll end up with nothing but the ravens who prey on your lambs.”

Dina’s heart hammered against her chest as she heard the last words he spoke… ravens who prey on your lambs. It had been many years since she last heard someone speak that sentence and only one group did so frequently. The Ravens.

The scarred face man made a click with his mouth and his horse jaunted forward. Dina kept her rifle up and watched as he continued south and disappeared into the thick trees. Once she could no longer see him, she lowered her rifle and sped towards Howard who was waiting by the house. She told him she was going to do another perimeter check even though he had done one earlier.

Dina swiftly gathered her gear and hurried back towards the path where Hale had left through. She easily found his horse tracks and trailed them, checking for any anomalies in the landscape until the tracks stopped at a shallow river but didn’t appear on the other side of the bank. He must have decided to walk through the stream instead of staying on dry ground. But which directions would he have went?

She decided to go with the flow of water and hope she chose correctly. She followed the winding path but after an hour in, she still wasn’t seeing signs of the man coming through this path. She progressed a bit further until she heard a whiny of a horse then she ducked behind the trees for cover. Slowly, Dina peered over to see Hale’s horse, alone and grazing by a desolated cottage. Hale was probably inside, no doubt, so she waited. It wasn’t long until she heard gunfire coming from inside the house and the screams of multiple infected. She was caught by surprised when Hale crashed out the second story window and tumbled onto the overhang. As he laid on his back, he fired his gun into the open window as two Clickers appeared but he was only able to bring one down. The other clamber onto the roof and fought at his feet but he was able to kick it away and take it down with two in the head. More infected appeared, spilling out through the cottage doors and windows. They spooked the black horse who try to make a run for it but the reins had tangled on some fallen logs, tethering it to the spot.

Hale was finally able to slide off the roof and land heavily onto the grass. He aimlessly fired more bullets into the crowd of infected until he ran out of bullets. He was heavily outnumbered so he ran to his horse and used his knife to cut the reins. Before he could jump onto the saddle, a Stalker grabbed him but he quickly sheathed his bladed into its head. He struggled to pull the knife out and end up leaving it in the Stalker as he jumped on his horse and galloped away with a trail of infected screeching behind him. 

Dina waited, listening for the screams to fade to nothing. When she was satisfied that it was clear, she stepped out of the trees and approached the dead Stalker that still had Hale’s gut hook knife in its head. The knife with the dove pendant. With some effort, Dina freed the knife out and observed the pendant closer. Blue star, white dove and the on the back, a “T”. Talia.

Tears welled up in her eyes. This had to be the same one. How did he get this? The last time she saw it was around Talia’s wrist before they were ambushed by a group of Ravens. Dina quickly wrapped the knife with an old rag and placed it in her backpack. She turned back to the direction of the farm, trying to sort out what she had discovered. Was Hale the one who killed her sister? Was he back for her? Or was it just a coincidence?

As Dina got closer to the perimeter, she busied herself checking the traps and was relieved that none had detonated before setting off to walk the fence line. She just needed a few more minutes to compose herself before she could face anyone.

She stopped to inspect the south fence that Ellie and Howard had mended weeks prior and noticed it was deteriorating again. A couple posts and the anchors were tilting, pulling the fence mesh with it and most likely the next wind storm would pull the whole structure down leaving the farm and livestock vulnerable. Either she would have to do a trip to Jackson to see if they had the supplies or do a run to the nearest abandon town. 

“Hey.”

Dina swiveled around to see the smiling redhead, scratching Goose, the chestnut horse she was given by Maria. Under the hot Wyoming sun, Ellie was wearing a black tee, scuffed jeans and toting her backpack and weapons. When Ellie first arrived, she was lean, close to gaunt but as time passed, she was filling out. It was most likely the steady meals and the farm labour that were the results of the fat and muscle gain. Now she looked healthier and glowing with this renewed physicality. It was hard for Dina to not wrap her fingers around the other woman’s biceps. 

“Hey, when did you get back?” Dina said airily.

“Just a few minutes ago,” Ellie replied. She left Goose on its own and stood beside Dina. “What are we looking at?”

Dina gestured at the fence. “It’s coming down again. The dirt looks soft so I was thinking of getting something to pound it down and use the sandbags from the greenhouse to prop around the posts until I can find the right items to fix it.”

“There’s an old neighbourhood a few miles back from that cabin I was staying in. I saw a hardware store that might have what we need to fix it. I can do a run there tomorrow,” Ellie offered.

“It wouldn’t hurt,” Dina agreed. “I’ll come with.”

“Sounds like a plan. Let’s fix this for now.” Together they headed back to the barn. Ellie steered her horse in the stall beside Templeton while Dina gathered the tools and a wheelbarrow for the sandbags. When they were back at the fence, Ellie held the post upright to allow Dina to work on the soil around the base with the top end of a sledgehammer. 

“How’s Jackson?” Dina asked as she effortlessly swung the hammer down. With the day she had, it felt good to hit something hard even if the person she wanted to hurt wasn’t at the receiving at.

“Same old. They finished construction on a row of houses on the west part of town. Donald appreciates you fixing the projector and the kids says you saved movie nights. Mrs. Radford gave me an apple pie to bring back which Robin has in the oven,” Ellie relayed, “And Paige wanted me to remind you about the Summer Festival this Saturday. She wants to make sure you will be there or she’s thrashing you into the mud. Her exact words, not mine.”

“Haha, that turd. Of course, we’ll be there,” Dina chuckled before catching that she had said ‘we’. She quickly moved on to another subject before Ellie could respond. “How was your visit with Lincoln?”

“It was good. We talked a lot about my mother and he showed me more pictures of her that he had. He gave me some of her journals and I spend most of the night reading them.”

“She liked to journal too? Anything interesting?” Dina finished flatting the dirt on the first post and then moved her attention to the second post.

“Nothing juicy, if that’s what you are asking.” Ellie winked at her before continuing, “She wrote mostly about her day, the Fireflies and her research… It’s a bit surreal reading her words. I feel like I’m filling something that was missing in me… I feel closer to her somehow.”

Dina gave Ellie a sincere look. “Ellie, that’s great. I’m really happy that you’re getting this opportunity. I would give anything for that chance with my family.” Her heart sank as she thought of her mother and sister.

Ellie sheepishly smiled and took the sledge hammer from her so she could take over the task. When she finished, they began placing the sandbags around the posts.

“So how are you getting with Lincoln?” Dina testing her words as she passed the last sandbag to Ellie.

“We’re getting along and he seems legit. The last few visits we talked for hours and last night Linc cooked me a steak dinner. Under that hard exterior he’s a really nice guy,” she said with a smile. They began tossing the tools into the wheelbarrow and walked back to the barn. 

“Was Hale around?” Dina nonchalantly asked as they entered the barn. 

The redhead tucked the wheelbarrow in the back and pondered for a bit. “I didn’t see him when I arrived. I think he was scheduled to do the night shift at the south Look-Out tower. Linc says he’s a bit of a workaholic. Always training or on a patrol or picking up available shifts at the Look-Outs. I rarely see him when I’m in town.”

“Well, he found his way here.” When Ellie gave Dina her undivided attention, she further explained the interaction she had with the man and what she had witnessed at the abandoned cottage earlier ago.

“Are you ok? Did any of the infected get you?” Ellie reached out to inspect Dina for any injuries.

“I’m ok, none of them got to me. They all chased after Hale when he took off. I’m just hoping they don’t make their way here.”

“But something else is bugging you?”

Dina hated that the woman could read her so well. She reached into her bag, pulled out the knife she had retrieved and showed it to Ellie.

“Look at this,” Dina said as she held up the dangling jewel. “Talia had the exact same one. This has to be hers and for some reason he had it.”

Ellie fingered the pendant, turning it to see both sides. “Do you think he was the group that killed your sister?”

Dina shrugged to take a breath before answering. “I think so. He seems capable of killing anyone. Regardless what he has done for Jackson and what the town says about him, I don’t trust him. He had no reason to come to the farm and threaten me.”

“He fucking threatened you?!” Ellie’s face began to narrow and flush but Dina assured her it was nothing she couldn’t handle.

Dina wrapped the knife and tucked it back in her bag. Bringing up Talia and the Ravens stirred up memories she never wanted to revisit. But there had to be a connection with Hale. The dove pendant was a gift to her older sister from their mother, much like the hamsa was a gift to her. For years, it had always been just the three of them. Her father died when she was young, forcing them on the run and with three females on their own, they were prime targets to be take advantage of. That was when Dina learned at age ten how to take a life. She never looked back.

It took them years, moving from one place to the next until they found refuge in a synagogue in a closed off neighbourhood. It was away from the Quarantine Zones and the military and infected never seemed to come to the area. There were four other families that lived with them and together they worked to find food and supplies. Dina never understood why their rations never lasted long and why they had to constantly go on runs. She always recalled seeing the group come back with sacks full of food only for half of it to be gone the next day. It was when she was in her early teens and helping on the runs when she discovered that half their provisions went to a group called the Ravens. In exchange, the ex-FEDRA faction would provide them protection from the military and infected. It was how they stayed safe in their neighbourhood for so long. But soon it was getting harder to find supplies and it wasn’t enough to keep them happy. So the Ravens made a new agreement, in exchange for protection they wanted wives. Her mother adamantly refused to give up Talia and Dina and that night they ran away. They made it two weeks until the Ravens found them. Dina remembered crying for hours after her mother got her and Talia away then sacrificed herself to be captured by the rebellious group. Dina wanted to turn back to find their mother but it was Talia who pushed her to keep moving. For months they moved, never staying in one place for more than two weeks. Soon they made it to the Colorado forest but the Ravens found them. Talia made Dina hide in a large sewer pipe so she could lead the group away but like their mother, she was caught. Dina watched as her sister fought her captors but paid the price with her life. Dina would never forget the image of her sister’s limp body.

Dina stayed hidden for two days, weeping for her deceased family until she was force to leave her sanctuary in search for food. That was when Jesse, Howard and Robin found her wandering the woods and swiftly took her in. Months after that, they found Jackson.

It had been so long since Dina let herself think about that traumatic part of her life. All her emotions were surfacing: sadness for her mother and sister, anger towards the assholes who killed them and the frustration at the unknown connection with Hale. She tried to stop her lips from quivering, but it was too late, Ellie engulfed her in her arms. Into her warmth. Into her safety.

~ ~ ~

Dina looked down from the children’s book she was reading to find her son tucked to her side, fast asleep. She kissed the top of his head and gently eased away to not stir him awake. When she was finally out the room, she tiptoed downstairs to find her in-laws sitting across from each other at the dinner table.

“Dina, we need to talk,” Howard softly spoke and pulled out the chair beside him. She tentatively sat down and braced herself for what was to come.

“We haven’t told you this because we didn’t want to alarm you. But I have been slowly losing my eyesight that last few months.” Robin had her hands on the table and was rubbing them, a tendency she did when she was worried.

“Oh, Robin. Why didn’t you say something? Have you seen the town doctor?” It wasn’t the news Dina was expecting, it was far worse. She reached across the table to rest her hand on top of her mother in law for comfort.

Robin squeezed her hand back. “I have. On our last trip, the doctor suspects that it is a degenerative eye disease since it runs in my family. There’s no telling when I will fully lose my vision but the last few days it has been getting worse.”

“With my back and Robin’s condition, we need to move back to Jackson where it will be safer for us. For all of us.” Howard added.

“Howard, this is my home.” A home she built with blood and tears. She wasn’t ready to leave so soon.

Howard gave his wife a look as if they anticipated Dina’s reaction. “I’m sorry but we’ve made up our minds. Maria has given us one of the newly built houses on the west end and when we head to Jackson for the festival, we are staying. I’ll be making trips back and forth to gather the rest of our things but we would prefer if all of you, including Ellie, move back to Jackson with us.”

“You’ve already made the plans?” Dina reeled back at the news. How could this day get any worse?

Silence filled the room until Robin spoke up. “We’re sorry. We had to. We didn’t say anything to you because we knew you wouldn’t agree.”

“You’re damn right I wouldn’t.” Dina started thinking of all the impacts and changes she would need to do. “I wish you told me sooner then I would have made some adjustments around here.”

“We will still watch JJ when you need it. It will just have to be in Jackson.” The offered did ease some of Dina’s worries but it wasn’t enough. With them gone, things would be different.

“It’s just bad timing. Ellie and I are doing that run tomorrow to find supplies to re-fix the fence. And I might need to set more traps around the perimeter. But it will be ok. I’ll figure this out.”

“You know, since Ellie arrived, she has been a big help,” Robin perked up at the sound of the name. “I thought she would have left by now but looks like she’s here to stay. Are you two…”

“We’re not.” Dina said a bit too abruptly.

“Is she planning on staying?” Howard asked with a smile.

Dina hesitated. She didn’t know if Ellie would stay. She didn’t know if she could trust her to stay. Too many times Ellie let her down. Too many times Ellie broke her heart. And the longer Ellie stayed, the more Dina realized she could never survive another heart break.


	10. Chapter 10

Ellie looked over at the rider trotting beside her and pondered if she should say something. Dina had been abnormally quiet since they left the farm, the last she spoke was in the morning when she said goodbye to JJ and Jesse’s parents who were heading to Jackson. Somewhere between last night and this morning, it was decided the three would go to the settlement a day early and her and Dina would come the next day to attend the Summer Festival. Ellie assumed everything was normal and went with the new plans but minutes into their ride, she could tell Dina was distracted. When she tried to make conversations, Dina would only give one or two-word answers. After a bit, she got the hint that she didn’t want to talk so she let the sounds of nature take over. She didn’t mind. At times the fresh air, the rustling of the leaves and the trickle from the nearby stream were enough to keep her occupy. It was the many things she missed living in Wyoming. Something she didn’t realized until her frequent trips to and from Jackson to visit Lincoln.

Ellie touched the front of her shirt to feel for the blue gemmed ring she looped on her chain. It nested beside the hamsa and knowing both were close to her heart had a calming affect. She especially needed it the past few weeks. Her first meet up with Lincoln, they sat at a corner table in the Tipsy Bison. He did most of the talking, thankfully, and he told stories about her mother and his time in Boston. She was still wary about him so she nodded and smiled at the appropriate moments. On the second meeting, she was more relaxed as they sat on his front porch and shot the shit about whatever came to mind. Soon after, they were going on fishing and hunting trips, patrols and playing board games that Ellie looked forward to their get togethers. By their most recent meetup, she was opening up more. She shared stories of her travels the last few years and her time in Boston and Jackson but she never spoke of Joel or Seattle. She didn’t need to though, Lincoln already knew about Joel from what the folks told him. He heard the stories and the rumors but she wasn’t ready to talk about the man she travelled across the country with. It was hard not to compare the two because there were aspects of Lincoln that reminded her of Joel. He was weathered and aged but under all that, he had a caring heart and like Joel, had someone he deeply loved taken away from him. Then there were aspects where he was so different. He made terrible but funny jokes, could be too cheerful for her liking and he still believed in the Fireflies cause. He talked about them a lot. He heard the Fireflies were regrouping and was looking for clues to where they were located. He wanted to rejoin them to continue Anna’s mission in finding the cordyceps infection cure. He really believed humanity could be saved.

Goose neighed, jogging her thoughts, and veered them off the trail. Ellie quickly gripped the reins and pull them back on the path. She focused on her surroundings and recognized the remains of a couple burnt down houses. “We’re getting close. Maybe another half hour.”

Dina nodded but didn’t say anything further. They continued through the condensed trail until they came across a row of weathered homes.

“Have you checked these houses?” The black-haired woman asked as she surveyed the rundown structures.

“I didn’t. I had enough supplies so I passed through,” Ellie replied. 

“Should we? If they have what we need then we don’t need to go further. We can head back to the farm and get started on the fence.”

“Sure.” Ellie led them to the closest house. They dismounted and went to checked the perimeter before approaching the garage door. She knocked on the metal, waited and listened. She rapped louder, still nothing.

“I’ll get the door?” She asked and Dina nodded and got down on one knee with her pistol drawn. She nodded back and eased the door up to her hips. Dina peered in and noted the coast was clear then helped her roll the door to the top.

The space was cleaned out. No car, no tools but some scraps of metal and empty tin cans on a work table. Judging from the dust and tattered sleeping bag in the corner, someone had camped out in the space years ago but no signs of a current occupant. As they search, Ellie found a working lighter, a quarter of alcohol and some dirty rags in the sleeping bag while Dina found some bullets and broken scissors on the table. They moved towards the door dividing the garage and house and made their way inside. They went separate directions, sweeping the hallways, kitchen and living room until they met in the middle. So far, no infected or humans until they made their way upstairs and found the remains of two skeletons, laying on a bed in an embrace. Out of respect, Ellie closed the door and moved onto the next room. This wasn’t the first time she found remains like this. 

Ellie went back downstairs and began rechecking the rooms in case she missed anything. She came across a closet with some coats but as she went to close the door, an anomaly in the wood pattern caught her eye. She went deeper into the closet and saw the top half of the back wall was a solid brown while the bottom half was lighter in color with faint vertical lines. She felt the sides until her fingers brushed against a metal latch that would have been easily missed since it was painted the same color as the wood. She unlatched it and pushed it forward to uncover a hidden staircase. 

“What did you find?” Dina whispered from behind.

“Hopefully no infected,” Ellie whispered back. She flicked on her flashlight and aimed it down into the darkness. There were no signs of spores, which was a good sign, and she steadily descended the steps with her weapon out. Dina followed a few steps behind her.

“Hey Dina, it might be that sex den you’ve been looking for,” Ellie joked and Dina chuckled softly. It was nice to hear her laugh even if it would be just once today. 

Ellie got to the last step but still couldn’t make out what the room was. There were no windows and the beam from her flashlight could only show so much. Her left foot nudged against something heavy and it was a dusty generator. Instinctively, she went for the handle and tugged the line three times before it puttered and miraculously started. The generator hummed as lights hanging from the ceiling flickered on. 

“Ellie… This is better…” There was bliss noted in Dina’s voice.

The room was a rare sight. It was full - wall to wall with electronics, tools, canned food to last for months. Towards them, stood a workbench and a couple tool cabinets. Everything looked untouched, possibly since the outbreak.

“Ellie, look at this! I don’t think anyone has been here in years.” Dina went towards a row of DVD players, radios and televisions and started fiddling with the buttons. When none of them turned on she began reaching behind the machines, pulling out the cords and looking for a plugin. Ellie couldn’t help but grin as Dina excitedly plugged in the cords and jabbed at the buttons again. The machines turned on and she faced Ellie in a wide mouth astonishment.

“I can’t believe they all work!” Dina moved on to the tool cabinets, opening the drawers and brandishing wire cutters, multimeters, spools of wires and several other items Ellie didn’t know the names to. “This must be what heaven looks like.”

Ellie walked along the sides to survey the flats of canned vegetables and came across a pair of eye glasses. “Found some glasses. Maybe Robin could use them?” She held them up and noticed the other woman’s expression drop.

“Yeah, let’s take them with us.” Dina quickly replied. Ellie paused.

“What are you not telling me?” When she didn’t reply, Ellie instinctively went to her. “Dina, what is it?”

Dina took a breath. “Robin and Howard are staying in Jackson. They have some health issues that it makes it sensible for them to stay and get the help they need.”

“Oh…” The news took Ellie by surprise but it shouldn’t have. She had noticed Howard was struggling with the chores and Robin straining with her sowing.

“It doesn’t change anything. JJ and I will be okay on our own.” Dina assured her but Ellie knew, behind the words, Dina was worried.

“D.” Ellie said softly.

“I’ll make it work –“ 

“Dina.” Ellie cut sternly causing Dina to stop and face her. “You’re not alone.”

And they smiled at one another.

~ ~ ~

They packed their horses with what they could and agreed to come back for the rest another day. Within twenty minutes they reached the outskirts of Jackson City, or what was left of it. Ellie guided them towards a row of dilapidated buildings to where the hardware store was. The front entrance and windows were boarded but they were able to find a side window to slip through. There was a Clicker hibernating in a corner that Ellie was able to sneak behind and jab her knife in its neck. They searched the store, finding a bag of concrete mix, some metal strips and nails. Everything else was pretty much picked over.

Satisfied with their haul, they return to their horses to head back until Ellie stilled at the faint beeping noise.

“Do you hear that?” She whispered to Dina, who nodded and pointed to where the sound was coming from. They headed towards that direction and approached a massive recreational center, blocked with barbed wired fences, sandbag walls and military tents. It must have been a makeshift military base to handle the outbreak when it first started. As they got closer to the vined covered building, they could hear the beeping noise coming from inside.

“That noise is going to attract infected. Just like it did at that other town.” Dina pushed and pulled at the front door but it wasn’t budging. “We have to shut it off.”

“Okay, let’s find another way in.” Ellie circled the building until she found a metal staircase that led up to a fire escape door. She had Dina climbed the metal steps first who then peeked into the small window of the door.

“Ellie, spores. Masks on.” Dina pulled out her gas mask and as she adjusted the straps around the back of her head, she gave a quizzical look at Ellie who hadn’t taken off her backpack. “Ellie, your mask?”

With a tight lip smile, Ellie lifted up her tattoo’d arm to show the covered-up scars. “I’m immune.”

“Right. Yes. Sorry, I forgot. I mean I didn’t forget, I just...” Dina continued to apologize until Ellie reassured her it was okay. 

“Ready?” When Dina nodded, Ellie tried the door. It was lock so she pulled a flat metal strip she had found at the hardware store, wedged it in the space between the doorknob and frame. She jiggled it and the door popped open, breaking the metal strip in the process.

Dina, evidently impressed, quirked an eyebrow. “That was pretty sexy. Where did you learn that?”

“Magic.” Ellie winked but in truth, she self taught herself since Joel refused to teach her.

“Oh, shut it.” Dina grinned jest.

Ellie chuckled lightly at the comment, tossed the broken strip and peered through the window to make sure it was still clear. She opened the door wider and the beeping magnified. They entered onto an oval running track with exercising machines and weights lined up against the wall. Sections of the walls were covered in brown fungus and emitting particles into the air. Tattered mats and sandbags scattered the area but most were piled near the center of the track that had a large hole that open to the floor below. Even with the loud beeps bouncing off the walls, Ellie could hear the loud shrieks and groans coming from the hole. There had to be at least a hundred different forms of infected trapped beneath them. They were moving hysterically to the noise, clawing at the walls, pillars and at each other, trying to free themselves from their prison. 

“Holy fuck, how long do you think they have been there?” Dina gasped at the sight of the massive horde.

“I have no idea,” Ellie replied. “But we can’t leave them alive.”

“I agree. We’re lucky they haven’t gotten out. There’s no way Jackson would be prepare for this level of attack.” Dina began searching the gym for supplies as Ellie dug into her pack to see if she could craft some explosives.

“Oi! You idiots! Lead them over here!”

Alarmed, Ellie looked for Dina then bolted to join her behind some stacked mats. The voice screamed some more but was muffled with other voices. Just as Ellie peak over the mats, four masked people burst through a set of double doors. Three Runners chased behind them but strangely, the group wasn’t shooting them with their guns.

“For fuck sakes, get them in the hole!” The larger person of the group yelled as he veered away to picked up a brass rod laying on the floor. As two Runners were led closer to the gap, the man used the rod to swing and hit them into the cavity causing them to fall and join the rest of the screaming horde. The third Runner was harder to control and after a few attempts to push him in the hole, the woman in the group shot the infected dead. 

“Jesus! What did you do that for?” A third person angrily shouted over the beeping noise. The fourth person, wearing a bright yellow shirt pulled out a remote from its pocket, pointed it in the air and the noise stopped. Only the sounds of the infected deafen the room.

“Why does it matter? We already have almost a hundred of them. So what that we couldn’t get this one!” The woman challenged back as she kicked the dead Runner. 

“I’m just following orders. He said to collect as many as we can.” The third person retorted and the two began bickering back and forth.

“Shut it, you shits! It’s fine. We got two.” The burly man pushed the pair apart and they stopped their fighting. “We have enough. I’ll let him know were good here.”

From behind the mats, Dina inched closer to Ellie. “They’re collecting them.”

Yellow shirt threw his bat on the ground. “Good! There are less of these motherfuckers around and I’m getting goddamn tired of hunting them.”

“We should find a way out before they see us,” Ellie whispered. Dina pointed at the set of double doors close to them and they began crawling towards it.

“What the…?”

Ellie looked over her shoulder to see the burly man a few feet away from her. “Run, Dina!”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Badass Dina!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter contains details of violence and use of weapons

Dina slammed the weight of her body against the gym doors and stumbled as they easily pushed open. From behind, Ellie caught her by the waist and urged her to keep running. They ran down the hall as the doors burst open again and gunfire followed. Dina shrank her head to dodge the bullets and felt her feet pick up faster. She sharply turned to the left, slamming into a row of bookshelves that halted her to a stop. Ellie shouted for her to move, to keep running, instead she pulled the shelving units down hoping the obstacle would create more distance from their chasers.

She took off again, following the heels of the redhead as they ducked every shot and blindly turned every corner they approached. They were forced to turn on their flashlights as they went deeper into the vast building. The hallways seemed endless with no escape in sight. Their luck eventually ran out as they reached a set of doors that wouldn’t budge, blocked from the other side. Dina turned to go back where they came from but it was too late. The group would soon trap them in this narrow hallway.

Dina dove behind a black heavy-duty crate as Ellie took cover behind vending machine on the oppose side. When their assailants appeared into view, they began firing at them. The pops from their guns echoed the corridor. The group fired back and began shouting instructions at each other.

A pane of glass above Dina shattered from a stray bullet and she covered her mask to protect it from the falling shards. An escape! She waited for a few seconds, for the shooting to subside before leaning left of the crate and spying a person standing in full view. She fired her pistol, hitting him twice in the chest and he collapsed.

“You assholes!” The woman screamed and she jumped out from the wall she was behind. But Ellie was ready, having switch to her rifle, and she fired a single shot at the woman’s head. 

“I’ll flank them!” One of the remaining two began shouting.

“Ellie, through here!” Dina jumped up on the crate and squeezed herself through the broken window and fell into a larger room. It was filled with overturned cots, generators and children’s toys. It must have been an emergency shelter during the outbreak. She scanned the area, noticing the caved-in floor in the center and she gestured to Ellie to watch for it. They hugged the walls, kicking the abundances of trash they came across as they made their way to an exit door on the other side of the room. All Dina wanted was to get out of this building.

They were steps away from their escape when Ellie grunted and was tackled to the ground by Yellow Shirt. She quickly regained her composure and stunned him with a couple jabs to his side then stabbed him in the leg with her knife. He howled in pain and she kicked him away but he bounced back and punch her in the face. Dina went to help but was fired at by Burly Man who was crawling through the window they had just come through. She was force to take cover behind a generator and recklessly returned fire without seeing her target. Fuck wasting ammos. One of them was bound to hit. But Burly Man had a semi-automatic and he knew he had the advantage over her eight-shooter. He approached her with confidence, peppering her with endless bullets until his gun gave a familiar click and he was force to reload. This was her chance. She raised her gun and stepped to the side for a better aim but accidently onto the rotting surface. The entire floor crumbled from the sudden weight, forcing Ellie and Yellow Shirt to tumble to the right and Dina and Burly Man sliding to the left. Dina hit the ground with a thud and groaned upon impact. She braced herself from the ceiling debris and swiftly rolled away from a falling generator that smashed where she once was. She could hear Burly Man coughing, breathing in the airborne pathogens and choking on the poison. As he was trying to cover the hole in his broken mask, she caught sight of a black raven on the back of his wrist. She hastily crawled away, looking for Ellie in the process until she heard the roar of a Bloater. Fuck, this will never end! Dina found refuge behind a file cabinet, heart racing, as the engorged beast charged towards where she was but the choking man was in its path. The Bloater grabbed him by the throat and teared him at the mouth then pulled him apart, limb by limb.

“Dina!” she heard Ellie call out. She looked around the barely lit room but didn’t see her. Ellie called out her name again and this time, it was coming from the other side of the rubble wall.

“I’m here!” Dina called back. A mistake as the Bloater bellowed at the sounds of their voices.

“Dina, I see you!” Ellie shouted but then there were shrieks of infected. Dina looked for them but they didn’t appear. She heard gunfire and realized they were pouring in from Ellie’s side. Before Dina could react, she felt the cabinet shake then spores exploded around her. The Bloater threw another spore bomb, thicken the air with its yellowish-brown dust. Shit. Shit. Shit. She never fought one of these on her own. She took a couple breathes to reorientate her senses then grabbed for her rifle. She fired a couple rounds at the beast but it barely penetrated its armour. It became more enraged and it charged towards her. She vaulted and ran to the other side of the room just as the Bloater crashed into the file cabinet.

Dina only had a few seconds and she hastily retrieved a rag and a bottle of alcohol from her backpack. How thankful she was for packing three bottles! She wet the rag and shoved half of it in the spout then pulled a lighter from her pocket. The rag lit effortlessly and she looked for her target. The Bloater was still where she last saw it, wailing in anger and tearing at its stomach for another projectile. Dina hurled the molotov, it exploded upon impact and enflamed the monster. It was stunned by the attack, screaming and fighting the licking flames. She fired two rounds from her rifle at the Bloater, reloading and firing until she emptied her clip. The flames had dissipated but it was still alive and snarling louder. Dina reached for her pistol but the Bloater was faster. It stormed towards her, catching her off guard and throwing her across the room. She lost her breath as she hit the ground and was slow to move. Another spore projectile was thrown at her direction, assaulting the air and blurring her vision, and she struggled as she scrambled behind a pillar.

“Dina! Dina, where are you?” Dina heard Ellie yell. She exhaled in relief that she was still alive but didn’t have the voice to respond back.

“I’m coming!” The red head screamed back causing the Bloater to roar and stomped back to the rubble wall. As it was distracted, Dina flung another homemade molly at the infected’s feet then unloaded her pistol. _Pow! Pow! Pow! Click!_ She reloaded a clip and fired again until the fiery creature let out a dying groan. It collapsed to one knee then finally face down.

Dina released the breath she hadn’t known she was holding and slump down in relief. How long had her heart been racing? She heard metal clanking and quickly aimed her pistol at the sound. It was Ellie who climbed over the wreckage to get to her. There was splatter of blood on her face and clothing but she was alive and uninjured. That was all that mattered.

“Dina?” Ellie came to her, touching her gas mask to inspect for damages. Dina tried to think of something to say but she was still overcome from the battle. Instead, she gripped the woman’s hands for comfort, needing to feel something real. Something familiar.

“A damn Bloater, D. Fucking badass!” Ellie exclaimed. Dina laughed out loud and pulled the woman into an embrace.

“Come on, let’s get the fuck out of here.” Dina released herself from the hug and let Ellie help her up. They crudely patched themselves up then Dina walked over to what was left of the burly man. She found the wrist that had the raven mark and showed it to Ellie. They retraced their steps, checked the two enemies in the hallway and found the same markings on their limbs.

“Why the hell are the Ravens way up here? They are… were, based in New Mexico.” Dina dropped the woman’s pant leg she had hiked to expose the tattoo and rose to her feet.

“It’s possible they got over run in New Mexico and made their way up here. After the Fireflies disbanded, they scattered around the country.” Ellie suggested. “Did you see the tattoo on Hale?”

She thought for a moment and shook her head. “No, but doesn’t mean he doesn’t have one. He’s gotta be apart of this in some way.”

Ellie nodded and motion for them to keep moving. They made it back to the running track where the infected in the pit had calm down, most were paralyzed in their spot and some were trudging back and forth.

“What do you think they were planning to do with them?” Dina inched closer to the hole to observe the pack, making sure she wouldn’t accidently fall in.

“Most likely they were using them as weapons. But it’s risky especially this large of a horde. It would be hard to control them…” Ellie replied. “At least we know it was them that were using the beeping devices to lure them.”

“Do you think they were planning to lead them towards Jackson?”

“Fuck, it’s possible. But we can’t leave them alive. There might be more of these Ravens and if they find what we did to their friends who knows what they will do next.”

Dina agreed and they began searching around the area to find anything that could to dispatch the horde without using all their ammo. They siphoned gas from abandoned vehicles and found some explosive powder in one of the military tents to make molotovs and shrapnel bombs. Ellie threw a few ratty gym mats into the pit while Dina set them blazed with the mollys. They watch the bonfire grow as the infected gravitated towards the flames. Slowly they added more mats and fuel to the pit then toss the explosives until none were left alive.

~ ~ ~

Dina could hear the upstairs’ shower turn on and the spray of water hit the bottom of the tub. She was already freshly showered and sitting in her work room, still trying to wind down from the day’s adrenaline. She had Hale’s knife on the desk in front of her with the letter _T_ on the pendant haunting her. Why? Why was her past catching up to her now? She let out a deep sigh, tucked the knife in a drawer and rolled her neck to stretch it out. Ugh, she was still going to be exhausted tomorrow.

She eyed the alarm device she detached from the Rec Center that was also in front of her and examined it closer. It was definitely similar to the device that was pulled from the previous group run she went on. This wasn’t a coincidence. Ravens were here in Jackson and planning something big.

Dina unhooked the microphone from her CB radio and squeezed the call button. “Jay One to Dee One. Come in.”

“Go for Dee One.” A male voice came from the speaker within seconds. 

“Jay One, this is Dina. Is Maria there?”

“10-4. One moment.” There was a minute of static and crackle.

“Dina, this is Maria.”

“Maria, how’s my family?”

“They’re good. I just saw them at the potluck.”

“Great.” Dina paused and took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Maria, Ellie and I went on a run today and we found something strange. Looks like there is another group in the area. They were using those beeping devices and luring more infected. They were keeping a massive horde in a building.”

“Jesus… whereabouts?”

“The Rec Center in Jackson City.”

“Are you and Ellie alright?”

“We’re ok. We ran into some of the members from the group but we were able to handle it. We also took out the horde. I can explain in detail when we get to Jackson tomorrow. I just wanted to give you a heads up.”

“Ok. Thanks, Dina. Get some rest and I’ll see you and Ellie tomorrow.”

“10-4.” And she hooked the microphone. She relaxed in her seat and gazed over at the canvas bags full of the loot she and Ellie gathered from the house earlier. She would have to remember to bring a team from Jackson to help gather the rest of the items but that was for another day. She stretched her neck again and a wave of exhaustion hit her. Bed was calling for her. She left the room, climbed upstairs and heard the shower turn off. She stopped by the bathroom door and listen for a bit before realizing how embarrassing it would be if – the door swung open.

“Oh hey.” Ellie was just as startled as Dina. A towel was around her neck and she had changed into a grey tank top and black sweats. 

“Hey, do… do you need anything before I head to bed?” Dina’s cheeks flushed knowing she was caught spying on her.

“I should be good,” Ellie replied. “Since we couldn’t start on the fence today, should we in the morning?”

Dina went over tomorrow’s plan in her head and contemplated. “There might not be enough time before we have to go to the Summer Festival. Since the fence is holding why don’t we leave it for when we get back? We can head to Jackson first thing, talk to Maria then pick up JJ. It would be a nice break for us. Especially after today.”

“For sure.” Ellie grabbed the ends of her towel and stood there waiting. “Did… you need something else?”

She hadn’t realized she was blocking the door and quickly stepped a side. “No, sorry. It’s been a long day.” 

“What a day, huh?” Ellie stepped out of the bathroom and lingered in the hallway. She pensively rubbed the back of her neck. “That was pretty awesome what you did back there.”

Dina smiled and rubbed her cheeks. The confrontation still felt fresh but she did feel pretty badass after that win. As scared as she was, she now felt… invincible. That she could take on anything in her path. Including this red headed, green eyed woman in front of her. She just needed to be brave. “What can I say? That Bloater didn’t stand a chance.”

Ellie chuckled and looked at her that made Dina’s heart skip a beat. They stood there for a minute, not saying a word or moving.

“It’s getting late. I should head to the barn,” Ellie said, breaking the silence.

“Right... Good night, Ellie.” Dina wasn’t sure why she was feeling disappointed but she knew she didn’t want to be alone tonight.

“Good night, Dina.” Ellie turned to leave but the further she moved away, the more anxious Dina felt. _Be brave._

“Ellie?” Dina called out so softly that she barely heard herself.

“Hmmm?” She stopped at the top of the stairs and faced her. 

Dina bit her lip. “Can you stay with me tonight?”

“I can stay.”


End file.
